Dallas North Tollway may connect I-35 at Milam Road, public meetings to be held

The Denton County Outerloop along with TxDOT are conducting virtual and in person meetings

this month to address increasing growth in the region. Denton County, in partnership with the Texas

Department of Transportation. (TxDOT), is developing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to

construct a six-lane freeway primarily on new location connecting I-35 in Denton County, Texas with

the Dallas North Tollway in Collin County, Texas. One of the proposed paths comes out on Milam

Road, just south of Sanger, where the former Love’s Truck Stop was.

They are hosting a series of in-person and virtual public meetings to share updates about the

project, including the detailed design schematics for the build alternatives under consideration and

preliminary environmental impact findings, and gather feedback from the public. Materials presented

will be the same at each public meeting, listed below:

Monday, Sept. 29, 2025

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Open House)

Denton Convention Center

(Embassy Suites)

3100 Town Center Trail

Denton, TX 76201

Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Open House)

Midway Church (Gymnasium)

9540 US 377

Pilot Point, TX 76258

The in-person public meetings will follow an open house format where the public may come and

go at their convenience. Staff will be available to answer questions and receive comments. The same

prerecorded presentation will be playing on a screen at the in-person meeting and posted on the virtual

public meeting website. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the proposed project, which aims to

address population and travel demand growth while supporting safe and resilient east-west mobility

and connectivity across Denton County.

The Denton County Outer Loop study kicked off in late 2022 and is expected to be

completed by Fall 2026. In early 2024, Denton County and TxDOT completed the Denton County

Outer Loop Feasibility Study and transitioned into the EIS phase. This phase of the project is a more

in-depth study than what was previously done and will build on information collected during the

Feasibility Study in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.

An EIS is prepared when it is anticipated that a proposed project could significantly affect the. quality

of the human and natural environment. There are three categories of analysis that TxDOT can

complete as a part of NEPA, of which an EIS is the most rigorous. Adhering to NEPA is required on

any project that would receive any federal funding.

In this EIS, Denton County and TxDOT are evaluating four build alternatives on a new location

six-lane freeway, in addition to the No-Build Alternative, that satisfy the purpose and need within the

study area. Alternatives are evaluated in consideration of input received from Federal, State, and local

agencies as well as stakeholder groups and the public. The purpose of the proposed project is to

address population and travel demand growth and support safe and resilient east-west mobility and

connectivity across Denton County. The need for the proposed project is driven by (a) rapid

population growth and increasing traffic volumes that are contributing to congestion, (b) higher crash

rates along Study Area roadways compared to the statewide average, and (c) limited mobility due to

the lack of contiguous east-west arterials.

This proposed project would, subject to final design considerations, require additional right of

way and potentially displace residences and non-residential structures within the study area. The

proposed project is also anticipated to impact the Elm Fork Bridge and Ray Roberts Lake State Park –

Greenbelt Unit protected under Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 and

Chapter 26 of the Parks and Wildlife Code. This proposed project would involve construction in

wetlands and an action in a floodplain and floodway.

Ultimately, this study will allow Denton County to preserve the land needed for the corridor to

protect it from future development. Transportation projects require years of advanced planning and

development, which is why the county must plan now for the growth it expects in the next 30 years.