Texas - Road construction and toll roads around DFW

I'll be in the Fort Worth / Dallas / Grapevine area later this month. In some hotel and restaurant reviews that I have read, posters are complaining vociferously about traffic deadlock caused by construction, and not realizing that they should have had a transponder for toll roads until the $25 penalties arrived from the rental car company.

Is this the case? Are there toll roads in the area were $$$ don't work, just transponders, and am I going to spend crazy amounts of time in traffic?

Are there any roads / areas where the traffic congestion will be so bad I should avoid them?

Thank you.

Avoid I-635 at all costs. It is also crazy trying to get into and out of the north entrance of DFW. I have been on the North Dallas Tollway and transponders are required, there are no toll booths.

The toll roads around here are Zip Cash. In other words they take a photograph of your license plate, then look you up, and mail a bill to you. I just paid one the other day. You should ask the rental car company how they deal with this. For more information look here:

https://www.ntta.org/Pages/default.aspx

Avoid the freeways at the north end of the airport after 8 pm and some weekends. They are often closed in one direction or the other. Also watch for the lane you used yesterday is no longer there the next day. It is all passable, but a zoo at times. For more information on this look here:

http://www.dfwconnector.com/index_flash.php

and if you are going to Fort Worth here:

http://www.northtarrantexpress.com/

Welcome to Texas. Have a good time. Glad you are coming to visit.

Zip Cash sends the bill to the owner of the vehicle which is the rental car company and they ding you for $25 per toll.

Most of the rental car companies will issue you a transponder so you only have to pay the toll.

Your Fort Worth and Grapevine runs should be toll free.

I agree with jjdub86's comment about LBJ (635). It is not too bad during non-peak hours. Look at 114 between Grapevine and Dallas and 121 between Grapevine and FW. Use 30 for direct routing between Dallas and FW.

Hope that helps.

I'll be in the Fort Worth / Dallas / Grapevine area later this month. In some hotel and restaurant reviews that I have read, posters are complaining vociferously about traffic deadlock caused by construction, and not realizing that they should have had a transponder for toll roads until the $25 penalties arrived from the rental car company.

Is this the case? Are there toll roads in the area were $$$ don't work, just transponders, and am I going to spend crazy amounts of time in traffic?

Are there any roads / areas where the traffic congestion will be so bad I should avoid them?

Thank you.

Ask for a vehicle that is equipped with a Toll Tag, the rental car company will charge the tolls back to you with a small (not $25) service fee that will show up a few days after you close out the rental ticket. Companies that are charging the $25 would happen when a car doesn't have a Toll Tag and the toll is charges to Zip Cash. None of the Dallas area toll roads have booths anymore. You can avoid the toll roads but it's a pain to do so because they do get you from here to there quickly for the most part.

Regarding where the traffic congestion would be bad, basically all roads in and out of the airport are road hell now. Being a local for me I know all of the side roads, short cuts, places to avoid and so on. Now that being said, once you are free of the cluster of roads around the airport and their crazy construction as long as you are not in rush hour the other roads shouldn't be too horrible.

Make sure you take the tip for the DFW Connector website. In fact you can sign up for email alerts right before you get here and unsubscribe when you leave. The email alerts will let you know of road closures due to wrecks or construction, road diversions and so on. One night when I flew in I arrived at DFW to an email saying the entire North entrance was down to one lane. I exited south and circled around. Another time I got an email about a road closure due to an 18 wheeler and multi-car accident on 121 S/114E. I was trying to get to the opposite side of where the wreck was so I took another route.


Have a great visit in Dallas!

http://www.dfwconnector.com/index_flash.php

I don't know all the details, but the Zip Pass may be what you want.

Zip-Pass

Rental car companies have varying toll payment methods, but NTTA’s Zip-Pass offers a consistent way to pay tolls accumulated while driving a rental vehicle during a visit to Dallas/Fort Worth. A Zip-Pass account is available as a short-term method for visitors to pay for tolls while driving in rental vehicles. A Zip-Pass account allows motorists to avoid added fines, fees and opt-in costs charged by rental car companies and assures tolls are paid on time while driving a rental car or visiting Dallas/Fort Worth in a personal vehicle. Customers must call NTTA Customer Service at 972-818-NTTA (6882) to open a Zip-Pass.

https://www.ntta.org/custinfo/rentalout-of-state/Pages/default.aspx

Thank you all for your wonderful information and advice. I called the NTTG (thank you for the links) and they told me I had 2 options.

1. To open an Zip account with $40 in it, and then to close it after our visit and we would eventually get any unused money refunded.

2. Do it through Avis. I called Avis, then Avis at DFW. They told me that all the cars at DFW have TollTags, and they will charge us $2.95 per day plus any tolls. Obviously, this will be charged to my credit card when they get the info from NTTG.

We're going to go with option 2. I'll report back if we have any difficulties.

I'm not quite sure how the construction is going to impact us - we'll just have to hope for the best and hope the GPS can get us around the worst of it.

Thank you, everyone.

Thank you all for your wonderful information and advice. I called the NTTG (thank you for the links) and they told me I had 2 options.

1. To open an Zip account with $40 in it, and then to close it after our visit and we would eventually get any unused money refunded.

2. Do it through Avis. I called Avis, then Avis at DFW. They told me that all the cars at DFW have TollTags, and they will charge us $2.95 per day plus any tolls. Obviously, this will be charged to my credit card when they get the info from NTTG.

We're going to go with option 2. I'll report back if we have any difficulties.

I'm not quite sure how the construction is going to impact us - we'll just have to hope for the best and hope the GPS can get us around the worst of it.

Thank you, everyone.

The DFW Connector project is a massive mess. If you are heading to Grapevine from DFW, it will be difficult to avoid. GPS might not be so good because the roads at the north end of the airport are in a constant state of flux. Pavement that was once there is gone. Or blocked off. Exits have moved or closed. New, temporary onese may be there in place.

Best advice is try to get a general understanding of what roads you need to use before driving, then pay attention to the signs directing you to them.

The DFW Connector project is a massive mess. If you are heading to Grapevine from DFW, it will be difficult to avoid. GPS might not be so good because the roads at the north end of the airport are in a constant state of flux. Pavement that was once there is gone. Or blocked off. Exits have moved or closed. New, temporary onese may be there in place.

Best advice is try to get a general understanding of what roads you need to use before driving, then pay attention to the signs directing you to them.


I love living in Dallas but right now I hate DFW airport, especially in the evening. North exit was basically closed tonight with road closures and a detour exit. I knew that in advance so I went South to exit. 12 lanes open, between 8 and 10 cars in every lane. Thank goodness for those notification emails they send out for road closures and wrecks. It took 20 minutes to pay and exit and go 183E to catch the George Bush to swing around to North Dallas.

The DFW airport parking, drop off and pick up experience during this road construction is torture, it makes you grind your teeth, yell at you loved ones, lose you patience, vow to fly Southwest, swear off flying until that next trip. Leaving is the worst for me, especially since my preference is to go 635 E, or 121 N, or 114E and the north end is really hard to exit in the evenings. Getting into the airport isn't so bad because I am using 114E to Freeport Parkway to Airfield Dr. most of the time because it keeps me out of the lion's share of the traffic leading into the airport, from the North.

I don't have a really good picture of what this final road mashup is going to be and if it is going to be any improvement at all after they are done. It's very painful for me right now to fly in and out of DFW. I may have to start staying over an extra evening and fly back first thing in the morning. It is the late night (after 8) that is sending me off the deep end of airport stress.

When I was transferred to Dallas a few years I lived in Coppell. It took me 12 minutes to leave my house and be in a parking garage. Exiting was pretty much the same too 12-13 to my garage, ahhh the pre-construction days of DFW Airport.

Look at the bright side. They say all will be finished by this time next year.

North exit was basically closed tonight with road closures and a detour exit. I knew that in advance so I went South to exit.
I wish I had known this when I arrived back from a trip last week one evening. Absolute and total cluster at the north exit. After 10-15 minutes of not moving at all, I hopped a curb and made my own detour. Thank goodness for SUVs. Ordinarily I wouldn't do such a thing, but I was completely worn out and desperate to get home.

I wish I had known this when I arrived back from a trip last week one evening. Absolute and total cluster at the north exit. After 10-15 minutes of not moving at all, I hopped a curb and made my own detour. Thank goodness for SUVs. Ordinarily I wouldn't do such a thing, but I was completely worn out and desperate to get home.

Get the app form the web site. Then you can check whenever you want to.

Let us know when you are coming and where you want to go. Maybe we can help you with route suggestions. There are so many narrow detours right now that a routine stall turns into a big mess, and the detours change all the time.

General rule is north exit is worse than south exit, but even that does not always hold.

Just want to thank you all again for your help and advice.

It all went very smoothly. We used the toll tag, although we havn't received the bill yet.

Construction was no more than a minor annoyance occasionally - we did not hit any serious delays or closures. Driving along a highway with a 1ft+ drop off the side of the lane was a bit scary though!

We allowed a ton of time to get to the airport in case we needed it so we arrived far too early, but DFW is a very easy airport in which to kill time. A couple of loops on the Skylink, a couple of margaritas and an hour in the AC and it was time to board.

Hopefully it will all be finished before our next visit.

Just want to thank you all again for your help and advice.

It all went very smoothly. We used the toll tag, although we havn't received the bill yet.

Construction was no more than a minor annoyance occasionally - we did not hit any serious delays or closures. Driving along a highway with a 1ft+ drop off the side of the lane was a bit scary though!

We allowed a ton of time to get to the airport in case we needed it so we arrived far too early, but DFW is a very easy airport in which to kill time. A couple of loops on the Skylink, a couple of margaritas and an hour in the AC and it was time to board.

Hopefully it will all be finished before our next visit.

HilFly I am glad you had a trouble free trip and that you enjoyed Dallas! I think being prepared helps you deal with things like the DFW mess and you did your homework. Come enjoy our city in the fall, spring or winter when it's not 100+ degrees. You might like it even better!

All will be done by this time next year.

All will be done by this time next year.

Are you referring to the north entrance/exit out of DFW? If so, would be great but looks like they have a long ways to go.

Yes, the entire DFW Connector project is one year more or less ahead of schedule. They expect to be finished by next summer.

Great, thanks. It looked like a lot of work left when I was there a couple weeks ago. Good news.

They're definitely making progress, but geez it's like punching your own self in the face trying to navigate that mess.

They're definitely making progress, but geez it's like punching your own self in the face trying to navigate that mess.

Which is why as a Dallas resident I have sworn off that area until the construction is over, except for when I am flying out of DFW and then I go my little back roads and just avoid that whole 121/114 nightmare. If I need to go to Southlake or Grapevine I go through Coppell to highway 26, I just cannot drive in that ever changing mess. I value my life and sanity too much.

I am going to Oklahoma from dfw airport with rental car. How I can avoid toll road to avoid rental car hefty administration cost? I have read somewhere, you have to go through toll road to get in and out airport.

No. You do not need to take a toll road to go from DFW to Oklahoma. There are a number of routes. Some go west from DFW and some east. Being a Fort Worth boy myself, I would go out of the north DFW exit, take 114 to the west over to I35W, then go north to Oklahoma.

I am going to Oklahoma from dfw airport with rental car. How I can avoid toll road to avoid rental car hefty administration cost? I have read somewhere, you have to go through toll road to get in and out airport.

The rental car terminal (free shuttle from each airline terminal) is outside of the South entrance airport's 'toll" area (central 'spine" road).

The auto rental folks will be happy to give you a map, the time honored method for cross country navigation. The paragraphs below may not be the "best" toll-free route (Metroplexites have their own ways, predilections and unique route choices!), but works....

From the Rental Terminal, North on the airport road thru the airport and out the North entrance, likely costs you a minimal cash toll, to 635/LBJ, then East to IH35E or on to US75/North Central Xway.

or....

South from the rental terminal to 183, then East toward Dallas, exiting North of Loop 12 toward its intersection with IH35E and North to Central Oklahoma (OKC area). If going toward Eastern Oklahoma (or eventually to Tulsa), you can turn off IH35 at 635(LBJ) and drive East across to US75/North Central Expressway, exiting North to OK.

This avoids driving back through the airport, the modest cash toll, and the construction confusion (for some) at the North Entrance.

South from the rental terminal to 183, then East toward Dallas, exiting North of Loop 12 toward its intersection with IH35E and North to Central Oklahoma (OKC area). If going toward Eastern Oklahoma (or eventually to Tulsa), you can turn off IH35 at 635(LBJ) and drive East across to US75/North Central Expressway, exiting North to OK.

This is your best bet. There is no clear way on to 635 from the North Entrance/Exit anymore. I've done it a dozen times during construction and still get lost at night.

DFW is such a mess. Now to get out of terminal B to head north, I have to loop around Terminal A.

Yes, the entire DFW Connector project is one year more or less ahead of schedule. They expect to be finished by next summer.

Not a moment to soon! Every weeks it's a new adventure, not quite sure where I will end up.

Indeed. I went to get on 114 at Freeport the other night to discover 114 was gone. Then two nights later I carefully examined the new arrangement while getting off of 114 at Freeport, to find myself on the return heading north on 121 as I missed the 114 entry. I am so glad I do not have to go back into that area for a few months now.

Indeed. I went to get on 114 at Freeport the other night to discover 114 was gone. Then two nights later I carefully examined the new arrangement while getting off of 114 at Freeport, to find myself on the return heading north on 121 as I missed the 114 entry. I am so glad I do not have to go back into that area for a few months now.

I live in Far North Dallas, I need to go North and East but I can not stand the mess at the North airport exit. Somehow I wound up going 114 West one night when I was dead dog tired. I have started taking the South exit because I just cannot figure out what the h e double L is going on with the North exit even though I get alerts and look at the maps. Plus North DFW airport exit is just too congested. I go South to 183, 183 East to Pres George Bush/161 which turns into the PGB/190 and then head home. It's longer from a mileage standpoint but it lowers the frustration level while exiting the airport. Someone let me know when the North exit is all done, for now I just give up on it.

Indeed. I went to get on 114 at Freeport the other night to discover 114 was gone. Then two nights later I carefully examined the new arrangement while getting off of 114 at Freeport, to find myself on the return heading north on 121 as I missed the 114 entry. I am so glad I do not have to go back into that area for a few months now.

That make s me feel better. I was really tired (lots of delays) driving home one evening. I need to go 121 north but that was closed, I got on 114 east and took the first exit and headed back west so that I could take the 121 north exit. That was different than the last time I was on it, so I missed the exit and ended up in Grapevine. The joys of travel!

I live in Far North Dallas, I need to go North and East but I can not stand the mess at the North airport exit. Somehow I wound up going 114 West one night when I was dead dog tired. I have started taking the South exit because I just cannot figure out what the h e double L is going on with the North exit even though I get alerts and look at the maps. Plus North DFW airport exit is just too congested. I go South to 183, 183 East to Pres George Bush/161 which turns into the PGB/190 and then head home. It's longer from a mileage standpoint but it lowers the frustration level while exiting the airport. Someone let me know when the North exit is all done, for now I just give up on it.


I've thought about doing that but 121 is so much better for me that PGB. I may have to try it.

I've thought about doing that but 121 is so much better for me that PGB. I may have to try it.

So I was looking at all of the side roads you could take to get back on 121 if you took the South exit but they all require you to go back through that mess called 121/114/635 hell. I got no ideas for how to best exit the airport to go onto 121. I just hope and pray that they don't do anything to the south exit and that flow while I am avoiding the North exit.

I can tell you South Exit/183E/161N/190E adds about 5-7 minutes to my pre-construction drive but it takes my frustration level down to zero.

To get to 635 from the North Exit:

-Go out the North Exit and follow the road. All lanes will converge into one singular left lane about ¾ of a mile from the exit.

-Follow 114 and take the first exit you can. This exit will be 1.5 miles down the road.

-Do a U-turn at the light and get back on the highway.

-Get in the extreme left lane and follow the detour signs

-There is a hairpin turn letting you get to 635 in both directions. If you miss it, you will have to loop around again twice.

This is always an adventure in the dark!

To get to 635 from the North Exit:

-Go out the North Exit and follow the road. All lanes will converge into one singular left lane about ¾ of a mile from the exit.

-Follow 114 and take the first exit you can. This exit will be 1.5 miles down the road.

-Do a U-turn at the light and get back on the highway.

-Get in the extreme left lane and follow the detour signs

-There is a hairpin turn letting you get to 635 in both directions. If you miss it, you will have to loop around again twice.

This is always an adventure in the dark!

That works, I have done it before. One night it took me 45 minutes to get from the North exit toll booth to the 114 exit because of the congestion and this was at 11:00 PM on a weeknight. It only takes 7 minutes for me to loop around South. I will just leave that North exit to the rest of y'all for the time being.

When did they change up the route to LBJ? I used it on Thursday and I was able to go from the north exit to LBJ in a "straight" shot.

Sure, it gets narrow and down to one lane for a bit. But I was able to go directly there. No getting on 114 and doing u-turns.

This was Thursday at about 6:30 PM.

When did they change up the route to LBJ? I used it on Thursday and I was able to go from the north exit to LBJ in a "straight" shot.

Sure, it gets narrow and down to one lane for a bit. But I was able to go directly there. No getting on 114 and doing u-turns.

This was Thursday at about 6:30 PM.

It's intermittent. Generally the regular "straight shot" route is open during the day, but closes completely many evenings around 8pm - 6 am; that's when spankytoes detour may be needed.

Latest scheduled closures at http://www.dfwconnector.com/laneclosures.php

It's intermittent. Generally the regular "straight shot" route is open during the day, but closes completely many evenings around 8pm - 6 am; that's when spankytoes detour may be needed.

Latest scheduled closures at http://www.dfwconnector.com/laneclosures.php

ah.. OK

I am usually through there between 6:15 and 6:30 PM. Good to know I might experience something different if I am late. Sometimes, I take 114. Other times, I go up to LBJ. Just depends on how congested it is going further north. If it's backed up, I jsut do 114 east down to BeltLine and then cutover to LBJ there.

Of course, when I fly out of DFW on Monday, I have a 6:30 AM flight and have been messed up by the closures during the very early AM hours.

Avis etoll update.

We got our etoll receipt from Avis. We went through one toll which was 23c, but Avis then charged us an etoll convenience fee of $2.95 per day for the entire rental, not just $2.95 for the day we incurred the toll.

It states on the receipt

$2.95 per rental day, max $14.75 per rental month

An expensive 23c toll!

That is not good. With all of the toll road lanes going in around here in the next few years the rental car companies are going to have to find a better way to handle this.