‘A new freedom’: A new bridge is coming to alleviate traffic in far north Fort Worth

More relief could be coming to far north Fort Worth after the federal government awarded $17.2 million to build a bridge over train tracks at Bonds Ranch Road.

This is the second bridge project in the area after a project three miles north on Avondale-Haslet Road was announced in November.

The money will cover 75% of the roughly $22.9 million needed to build a four-lane road over the BNSF tracks at Bonds Ranch Road near U.S. 287. It also includes funding for bike and pedestrian lanes on either side.

The funding comes from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which allocated $3.3 billion for railroad crossing projects.

This is the same law that provided $403 million in funding for the Central City Flood Control project, more commonly known as Panther Island.

This is a much needed mobility project for north Fort Worth, said District 10 city council member Alan Blaylock.

The area’s roads have seen a lot of strain with new development, and the new bridge should alleviate some of that pressure, he said.

The city of Fort Worth and BNSF will contribute a combined $5.5 million to the project with $229,167 coming from federal highway funds, according to a list of projects put out by the Federal Railroad Administration.

Bonds Ranch Road is a two-lane road that has seen increasing use as housing developments have replaced what used to be pasture land.

Roughly 18,000 vehicles use Bonds Ranch Road every day, according to the state Transportation Department.

Fort Worth has already dedicated $31.5 million to widen the road from two to four lanes between Wagley Robertson Road and U.S. 287, but this money would not address train traffic from BNSF’s roughly four miles to the north.

That widening project is a band-aid for the problems in far north Fort Worth, but this bridge is the cure, said Rusty Fuller who heads up the neighborhood advocacy group North Fort Worth Alliance.

“This is the solution we’ve been praying for. I’m beyond words,” Fuller said.

Adding a bridge over the BNSF tracks will improve east-west mobility in far north Fort Worth, he said.

Right now, people regularly get stuck waiting for a train to pass with some making what Fuller called, “unsafe decisions,” to avoid the traffic.

“Once this is all done, it will give people a chance to get out of their neighborhoods. It will give people a new freedom,” Fuller said.

There were seven reports of blocked crossings in the last year where the BNSF tracks cross Bonds Ranch road, according to public reports submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration.

Two of those reports claimed a stationary train impeded first responders from crossing the tracks.

Traffic regularly backs up onto U.S. 287 during rush hour due to the current exit not having enough space to handle the volume.

The state transportation department has a separate project to improve that exit including removing a roundabout on to the west of the highway to improve traffic flow.

Construction on the bridge over Bonds Ranch Road is scheduled to begin in 2026 with the bridge opening for business in 2028, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.