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City officials describe the intersection of Valley View Lane and Denton Drive as "the perfect storm" of congestion due to ongoing roadway construction and increased traffic, with relief not expected until the I-35E expansion project completes in winter 2025.
Public Works Director Ray Silva-Reyes briefed city council Tuesday, April 22, on the troubled intersection that has become a bottleneck for the community.
"This intersection has been critical for the last couple months, especially with the changes that have been going in the area," Silva-Reyes told council members.
The congestion stems from multiple factors, including the Texas Department of Transportation's I-35E service road construction, which has temporarily closed Pike Street access. This closure forces traffic from the recently built Dallas Stars multi-sports facility to funnel through Valley View Lane and Denton Drive.
Temporary traffic signals at the I-35E and Valley View intersection contribute to the problem.
"Those temporary traffic signals are just basically what we would call dummy signals. They only move one intersection leg at a time," Silva-Reyes said. "They don't allow the southbound and the northbound to run at the same time."
Each leg of the intersection currently receives only about 45 seconds of green light time, creating significant delays during peak hours and weekend sporting events.
Additional factors complicating traffic flow include pedestrians crossing between nearby restaurants, Dallas Area Rapid Transit train crossings and emergency vehicles triggering signal changes.
Some relief is expected when Pike Street reopens to I-35E access in "late June, early July," Silva-Reyes said. This should provide an additional outlet for traffic from the sports center area.
"I think that'll alleviate a lot of pressure, not only at Valley View and the service road, but also the intersection of Denton and Valley View," Councilman David Reid said.
When asked if the congestion would be resolved by the TxDOT project completion, Silva-Reyes confirmed substantial improvement is expected.
"You'll have the smart infrastructure for the signals over there that'll be running simultaneously with the left turn signals as well, and you have the full use of all lanes that are there," Silva-Reyes said.
In the interim, Public Works has maximized green light timing at the intersection to help traffic flow and is exploring potential grant opportunities through the North Central Texas Council of Governments for smarter traffic signal infrastructure.
The narrowing of Denton Drive from four to two lanes has also impacted the area, though officials say it's difficult to separate this impact from the increased traffic generated by the new sports facility.
Until project completion in late 2025 or early 2026, motorists are advised to plan for potential delays, especially during weekend sporting events at the Stars facility.
The council consent agenda also included a resolution that authorizes the city manager to execute a professional services agreement with Kimley-Horn, Inc. This agreement would be for design and engineering services related to a traffic signal at Rawhide Parkway and Josey Lane, for an amount not to exceed $87,700, but it was not discussed during the regular session.
Prior to the regular session, council members convened and discussed the 2024 Financial Report for Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. Three.
In the executive session the council discussed six additional items, including potential economic incentives for multiple development projects and the potential sale of property at 13309 Josey Lane.
Council members also received legal advice from the city attorney regarding the City Council's Anti-Discrimination Policy during the executive session.
