Texas State Highway 121
This article needs to be updated.(February 2023) |
Route information | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Maintained by TxDOT | ||||
Length | 85.563 mi[1] (137.700 km) | |||
Existed | by 1939–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | US 67 in Cleburne | |||
I-35W / US 287 / US 377 / Spur 347 in Fort Worth
| ||||
North end | SH 78 in Bonham | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Texas | |||
Highway system | ||||
|
State Highway 121 (SH 121) is a state highway angling from southwest to northeast through north central Texas. It runs from Cleburne, Texas at US 67 to SH 78 in Bonham, Texas, just north of a junction with US 82.
Between Fort Worth and Euless, SH 121 is known as Airport Freeway (east of Euless, this name applies to SH 183). East of Coppell, the highway functions as the frontage road for the Sam Rayburn Tollway, a toll road that runs northeast to McKinney. From McKinney to Melissa, the state highway is concurrent with US 75 and the North Central Expressway. Northeast of Melissa, SH 121 is a less-traveled roadway often referred to as the Sam Rayburn Highway.
Route description
[edit]Sections between downtown Fort Worth and Grapevine are freeway, including a small segment near Hurst that coincides with I-820. At Bedford, Texas it has an interchange with SH 183, the Irving freeway that leads toward Dallas; it has an interchange with SH 360, which leads towards Arlington, just to the west of the north entrance to DFW Airport, to which SH 121 gives access. At Grapevine it has interchanges with SH 114 and I-635 before becoming a limited-access tollway that passes between Lewisville and Frisco.
It is very heavily traveled south and west of McKinney and has become an urban highway due to the rapid growth of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Service roads extending southwest to northeast along the corridor from Lewisville to McKinney are free of charge; however the main lanes within the right-of-way are tolled as part of the Sam Rayburn Tollway operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority. The highway's northeastern section between Melissa and Bonham carries less traffic and until recently was a two-lane rural highway. However, in recent years with an increase in traffic, the 19 mile section between the Collin–Fannin county line and its junction with SH 56 in Bonham has been upgraded to a "Super Two" highway system. This allows for alternating passing lanes. Beginning in 2016, the segment between Melissa and the Collin–Fannin county line is being upgraded to a four-lane divided highway system. In addition, a two-mile stretch between SH 56 and US 82 within Bonham city limits, was upgraded to a four-lane highway system with a continuous left-hand turn lane. Long term planning calls for upgrading the 19 mile stretch, from the Collin–Fannin county line to SH 56 in Bonham, into a four-lane divided highway system.
It meets I-35E at Lewisville, SH 289 near Frisco, US 75 and US 380 in McKinney, US 69 at Trenton, and SH 78 just north of Bonham.
Construction began in 2009 on the extension of 121 south from Fort Worth to Cleburne, as a toll road called Chisholm Trail Parkway in Tarrant and Johnson counties. This section is operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority and the entire project, from I-30 to U.S. 67 opened to traffic in 2013.[2]
In March 2009, work was completed on the eventual southbound lanes on a short stretch of 121 northeast of DFW Airport, which currently shares southbound and northbound traffic. This work upgraded two signalized at-grade intersections to a freeway, with overpasses at both intersections, improving traffic in that area.[3] The northbound freeway lanes are currently under construction, which also include new, separate exits and entrances for Freeport Parkway and Grapevine Mills Boulevard/Sandy Lake Road.
Sam Rayburn Tollway
[edit]From McKinney to Coppell, State Highway 121 acts as a frontage road to Sam Rayburn Tollway, contrary to the popular misconception that the Sam Rayburn Tollway was the new SH 121.
Controversy
[edit]In early 2007, the Spanish firm Cintra agreed to a $2.8 billion, 50-year deal where they would lease the highway from TxDOT, finish building and maintain it, and collect the tolls.[4] However, critics of the deal questioned both its length—the contract allowed Cintra to collect tolls for 50 years—and the fact that the North Texas Tollway Authority was prevented from bidding on the contract. In addition, general opposition to the toll plan organized, pointing out that the segment through Denton County had already been paid for by taxpayer money.[5]
To answer some of these complaints, Texas legislators pressed the Texas Department of Transportation to allow the North Texas Toll Authority to bid.[6] The Authority announced their proposed bid in early May 2007, which would provide approximately $3.3 billion in road funding, but is based on traffic counts that differ from those used by Cintra.[7]
On June 28, 2007, the Texas Transportation Commission announced it would pursue the proposal from the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA).[8]
History
[edit]SH 121 was originally numbered on March 17, 1927, as a direct routing between Fort Worth and SH 40 near the Dallas–Denton county line.[9] On April 24, 1928, it was extended to McKinney.[10] By 1933, the route had been completed from Ft. Worth northeast through Grapevine to its intersection with SH 40/US 77 in far southern Denton County. On July 15, 1935, the east end was truncated to the Denton–Dallas county line.[11] On January 6, 1939, the section from the Dallas–Denton county line to SH 40/US 77 was restored.[12] A road was designated on February 21, 1938, from SH 114 to SH 121; either SH 114 Loop or SH 121 Loop. This was renumbered as Loop 10 on September 26, 1939.[13]
On November 24, 1941, SH 121 was extended from old US 77 to new US 77. On December 16, 1943, the section of SH 121 from US 77 (former SH 40) to McKinney was restored, and the ambitious plan to extend SH 121 northeast beyond McKinney to Bonham was approved by the Texas Department of Transportation, a part of which absorbed Farm to Market Road 82 between Bonham and Trenton. The section from Bonham to Randolph was designated as SH 263 until March 21, 1939. It was not until 1954 that the next section of this highway was completed between U.S. 77 at Lewisville and U.S. Route 75 near McKinney. The final section between McKinney and Trenton was not completed until November 20, 1963, including an extension around the western side of Bonham. In 1965, the section from downtown Fort Worth to Interstate 820 was transferred to newly completed freeway sections. On November 31, 1969, SH 121 was rerouted over Spur 459, which was cancelled. The old route of SH 121 was given to the city of Grapevine.
The Texas Department of Transportation proposed extending SH 121 to FM 1187, via a route to be known as the Northside–Southwest Freeway, on October 4, 1973.[14] This proposed extension was canceled on August 29, 1985.[15]
On April 14, 1980, SH 121 was relocated in Bedford and Grapevine. On November 18, 1999, SH 121 was rerouted over Spur 553, which was cancelled. The old route of SH 121 became Business SH 121. On February 27, 2003, the SH 121 designation was extended to US 67 in Cleburne. This extension, known as the Chisholm Trail Parkway, was built in stages from 2008 to 2014 and opened to traffic on May 11, 2014. The CTP's frontage roads in southwest Fort Worth are signed as SH 121.
Major intersections
[edit]County | Location | mi[16] | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
See Chisholm Trail Parkway, I-30, and I-35W | |||||||
Tarrant | Fort Worth | 0.0 | 0.0 | I-35W / US 287 / US 377 south – Waco, Denton Spur 347 west (Belknap St) – Downtown | Exit 52B (I-35W), access to Fort Worth Central Station | ||
0.8 | 1.3 | Sylvania Ave | |||||
1.2 | 1.9 | Riverside Dr | |||||
2.1 | 3.4 | Beach St | |||||
2.7 | 4.3 | Maxine St | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||||
Haltom City | 3.1 | 5.0 | Haltom Rd | ||||
4.2 | 6.8 | Carson St | |||||
4.9 | 7.9 | Minnis Dr | |||||
Richland Hills | 6.4 | 10.3 | Handley-Ederville Rd | Access to Richland Hills Station | |||
Hurst | 7.3 | 11.7 | I-820 south | South end of the overlap with I-820; SH 121 south follows exit 24B | |||
SH 10 east / SH 183 west | South end of the overlap with SH 183; Exit 24A (I-820) | ||||||
8.4 | 13.5 | Pipeline Rd/Glenview Dr | Exit 23 (I-820), access to North Hills Hospital | ||||
SH 121 Express north / SH 183 Express east to FM 157 | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; Exit 23A (I-820) | ||||||
8.5 | 13.7 | SH 26 / FM 1938 north (Davis Blvd) / Bedford-Euless Rd – Colleyville, TCC NE Campus | Exit 22B (I-820) | ||||
8.9 | 14.3 | I-820 west | North end of the overlap with I-820; SH 121 north follows exit 22A | ||||
10.1 | 16.3 | FM 3029 north (Precinct Line Rd) / Hurstview Dr | |||||
Hurst–Bedford line | 11.5 | 18.5 | Norwood Dr, Brown Trail | ||||
Bedford | 12.5 | 20.1 | Bedford Rd,Forest Ridge Dr | ||||
13.0 | 20.9 | Central Dr, Forest Ridge Dr | Access to Texas Health HEB | ||||
13.6 | 21.9 | SH 183 east – DFW Airport SOUTH ENTRY, Irving | North end of the overlap with SH 183; no direct southbound exit (signed at Murphy Drive) | ||||
14.0 | 22.5 | Westpark Way/Murphy Dr | |||||
15.0 | 24.1 | Harwood Rd | |||||
SH 121 Express south / SH 183 Express west to I-820 | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||||||
Bedford–Euless line | 16.7 | 26.9 | FM 157 south / Cheek-Sparger Rd | ||||
Euless–Grapevine line | 17.2 | 27.7 | Glade Rd | ||||
Grapevine | 18.1 | 29.1 | Hall-Johnson Rd | ||||
18.7 | 30.1 | SH 360 south / Stone Myers Pkwy | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||||
19.3 | 31.1 | SH 360 south – Arlington, Grand Prairie | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||||
20.8 | 33.5 | SH 114 west to FM 1709 / William D Tate Ave / Mustang Dr – Southlake | South end of the overlap with SH 114 | ||||
21.9 | 35.2 | SH 26 north / Bus. SH 114 west (Texan Trail) / Main St – Grapevine Historic District | No northbound entrance | ||||
22.4 | 36.0 | SH 114 east – Dallas | North end of the overlap with SH 114 | ||||
22.9 | 36.9 | DFW Airport | |||||
24.3 | 39.1 | I-635 east | Exit 36 (I-635); western terminus of I-635 | ||||
24.7 | 39.8 | Bass Pro Dr/Bethel Rd / Grapevine Mills Tr | |||||
25.3 | 40.7 | FM 2499 north (Grapevine Mills Pkwy) / Star and Stripes Way – Flower Mound | Northbound exit and southbound entrance, access to Grapevine Mills Mall | ||||
Dallas | Coppell–Grapevine line | 26.2 | 42.2 | Grapevine Mills Blvd/Sandy Lake Rd, Freeport Pkwy | |||
Denton | Lewisville | 27.6 | 44.4 | Bus. SH 121 north – Lewisville | |||
Dallas | Coppell–Lewisville line | 28.8 | 46.3 | Sam Rayburn Tollway north / Denton Tap Rd – McKinney | North end of the freeway; south end of the Sam Rayburn Tollway | ||
Denton | Lewisville | 30.0 | 48.3 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / MacArthur Blvd | |||
31.1 | 50.1 | Sam Rayburn Tollway south / I-35E – Denton, Dallas | South end of the overlap with the Sam Rayburn Tollway; south end of the freeway; Exits 447A-447B-448A (I-35E) | ||||
Carrollton | 32.3 | 52.0 | Marchant Blvd /Huffines Blvd | ||||
33.2 | 53.4 | Sam Rayburn Tollway north / Hebron Pkwy | North end of the overlap with the Sam Rayburn Tollway; north end of the freeway | ||||
34.3 | 55.2 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / Carrollton Pkwy | |||||
Lewisville | 35.1 | 56.5 | Sam Rayburn Tollway south / FM 544 (Parker Rd) | ||||
35.7 | 57.5 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / Bus. SH 121 south – Lewisville FM 2281 (Old Denton Rd) | |||||
36.6 | 58.9 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / Standridge Dr/Castle Hills Dr | |||||
36.9 | 59.4 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / FM 423 (Main St) / Josey Ln – Little Elm | |||||
The Colony | 38.3 | 61.6 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / Paige Rd/Plano Pkwy | ||||
Sam Rayburn Tollway south | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||||||
39.9 | 64.2 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / Spring Creek Pkwy | |||||
Collin | Plano–Frisco line | 40.7 | 65.5 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / Legacy Dr | |||
41.7 | 67.1 | To Dallas North Tollway / Dallas Pkwy | |||||
Sam Rayburn Tollway / Parkwood Blvd | |||||||
42.8 | 68.9 | Sam Rayburn Tollway north / Dallas North Tollway / SH 289 (Preston Rd) | |||||
Sam Rayburn Tollway / Ohio Dr | interchange | ||||||
43.9 | 70.7 | Sam Rayburn Tollway north / Hillcrest Rd /Rasor Blvd | |||||
45.2 | 72.7 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / Coit Rd | |||||
46.3 | 74.5 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / Independence Pkwy | |||||
Plano–Frisco– Allen–McKinney quadripoint | 47.2 | 76.0 | Sam Rayburn Tollway south / FM 2478 (Custer Rd) | ||||
Allen–McKinney line | 48.1 | 77.4 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / Exchange Pkwy | ||||
49.0 | 78.9 | Sam Rayburn Tollway north / Alma Dr | |||||
50.0 | 80.5 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / Stacy Rd | |||||
50.8 | 81.8 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / Watters Rd/Lake Forest Dr | |||||
51.8 | 83.4 | Sam Rayburn Tollway / Chelsea Blvd/Hardin Blvd | |||||
52.9 | 85.1 | US 75 south – Dallas To SH 5 | South end of the overlap with US 75; SH 121 south follows exit 38C | ||||
see US 75 | |||||||
Melissa | 61.2 | 98.5 | US 75 north – Sherman | North end of US 75 overlap; SH 121 north follows exit 44 | |||
SH 5 south | South end of the overlap with SH 5 | ||||||
62.2 | 100.1 | SH 5 north – Melissa, Anna | Interchange; North end of the overlap with SH 5 | ||||
63.7 | 102.5 | FM 545 (E Melissa Rd) – Melissa, Blue Ridge | |||||
64.9 | 104.4 | FM 2933 south – New Hope | |||||
Anna | Outer Loop Rd | ||||||
FM 455 west – Anna | South end of the overlap with FM 455 | ||||||
FM 455 east to FM 2862 | North end of the overlap with FM 455 | ||||||
| 71.6 | 115.2 | FM 2862 – Westminster | ||||
Desert | 75.4 | 121.3 | SH 160 – Whitewright, Blue Ridge | ||||
Fannin | Trenton | FM 814 west | South end of the overlap with FM 814 | ||||
FM 814 east – Trenton | North end of the overlap with FM 814 | ||||||
80.7 | 129.9 | US 69 / Bus. US 69 – Whitewright, Leonard | Interchange | ||||
| 86.0 | 138.4 | Bus. SH 121 north | ||||
| 86.5 | 139.2 | SH 11 – Sherman, Commerce | Interchange | |||
| 87.7 | 141.1 | Bus. SH 121 south – Randolph | ||||
| 90.5 | 145.6 | FM 1629 east – Edhube | ||||
| 93.0 | 149.7 | Spur 311 north to SH 56 west – Sherman, Sam Rayburn House | ||||
Bonham | 93.7 | 150.8 | SH 56 west – Sherman | South end of the overlap with SH 56 | |||
94.2 | 151.6 | SH 56 east – Bonham, Sam Rayburn Library | North end of the overlap with SH 56 | ||||
96.1 | 154.7 | US 82 – Sherman, Paris | Exit 670 (US 82) | ||||
96.9 | 155.9 | FM 898 west – Ector | |||||
| 98.3 | 158.2 | SH 78 – Durant, Bonham | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
Business routes
[edit]Randolph
[edit]Location | Randolph |
---|---|
Length | 1.734 mi[17] (2.791 km) |
Existed | 1990[17]–present |
Business State Highway 121-D (Bus. SH 121-D) is a business route of SH 121 that serves the town of Randolph. The highway was designated in 1990 with the mileage being transferred from Loop 451.[18]
Bus. SH 121-D begins at an intersection with SH 121 and travels northeast before intersecting with FM 896. After intersecting with FM 896, the highway runs north and has a brief overlap with SH 11 through the town. After leaving the concurrency with SH 11, Bus. SH 121-D runs north and northeast before ending at an intersection with SH 121.
- Junction list
The entire route is in Fannin County.
Location | mi[19] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | SH 121 | ||
Randolph | 0.5 | 0.80 | FM 896 south – Leonard | ||
0.6 | 0.97 | SH 11 west – Whitewright, Bonham | South end of the overlap with SH 11 | ||
0.7 | 1.1 | SH 11 east – Bailey | North end of the overlap with SH 11 | ||
| 1.7 | 2.7 | SH 121 | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
|
Lewisville
[edit]Location | Dallas and Denton counties |
---|---|
Length | 8.486 mi[20] (13.657 km) |
Existed | 1999[20]–present |
Business State Highway 121-H (Bus. SH 121-H) is a business route of SH 121 that serves the town of Lewisville. The highway was designated in 1999 when SH 121 was re-routed around the city.
Business SH 121-H begins at an interchange with SH 121/Sam Rayburn Tollway in Coppell. The highway runs northeast through industrial areas of Lewisville and turns to the north at an interchange with Round Grove Road/Denton Tap Road (FM 3040). Business North of here, SH 121-H runs by many residential areas before meeting I-35E. North of I-35E, the highway runs just south of the city's central business district and turns in a northeast direction. At Main Street, Bus. SH 121-H turns in a more eastern direction and crosses over the Elm Fork Trinity River. The highway continues to run east and meets FM 544 at an intersection before ending at an interchange with SH 121/Sam Rayburn Tollway.
- Junction list
County | Location | mi[21] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dallas | Coppell | 0.0 | 0.0 | SH 121 / Sam Rayburn Tollway north | Interchange |
Denton | Lewisville | 1.0 | 1.6 | FM 3040 (Round Grove Rd) / Denton Tap Rd | Interchange |
3.3 | 5.3 | I-35E | Exit 450 (I-35E) | ||
4.5 | 7.2 | Main Street | Former FM 1171 | ||
5.7 | 9.2 | Bridge over the Elm Fork Trinity River | |||
7.7 | 12.4 | FM 544 east – Carrollton | |||
8.4 | 13.5 | SH 121 / Sam Rayburn Tollway north | Interchange | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 121". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
- ^ Southwest Parkway/Chisholm Trail Project Status Report ntta.org March 2009
- ^ http://www.wfaa.com/video/?z=y&nvid=344241 "Overpasses give non-stop route between Frisco and D/FW", WFAA-TV report, March 20, 2009.
- ^ "Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News". Archived from the original on March 2, 2007.
- ^ Last Days To Make Comments About SH 121 Denton County Toll Conversion Archived 2007-05-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Texas Kaos [dead link]
- ^ Fort Worth Star-Telegram [dead link]
- ^ "State Approves Local Recommendation on SH 121". Archived from the original on September 1, 2007.
- ^ "Minutes" (PDF). publicdocs.txdot.gov. Texas Department of Transportation. March 14, 1927. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 22, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "Minutes" (PDF). publicdocs.txdot.gov. Texas Department of Transportation. April 24, 1928. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 23, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "Minutes" (PDF). publicdocs.txdot.gov. Texas Department of Transportation. July 15, 1935. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "Minutes" (PDF). publicdocs.txdot.gov. Texas Department of Transportation. January 23, 1939. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "Minutes" (PDF). publicdocs.txdot.gov. Texas Department of Transportation. February 21, 1938. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 21, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ Texas State Highway Department. "Minute Orders of the October 4, 1973 Meeting of the Texas State Highway Department" (PDF). Austin: Texas State Highway Department. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ Texas Department of Highways and Public Transportation. "Minute Orders of the August 29, 1985 Meeting of the Texas State Highway and Public Transportation Commission" (PDF). Austin: Texas Department of Highways and Public Transportation. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ Google (September 30, 2013). "SH 121" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
- ^ a b Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Business State Highway No. 121-D". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway Loop No. 451". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ Google (July 11, 2017). "Overview Map of Bus. SH 121-D" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ a b Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Business State Highway No. 121-H". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ Google (July 11, 2017). "Overview Map of Bus. SH 121-H" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
External links
[edit]- Denton & Collin County section of SH 121 - from dfwfreeways.info