Conflans Road Extension

Conflans Road Extension is a City of Irving project on a new location with TxDOT oversight. The proposed facility consists of a four-lane divided roadway with raised median, sidewalks and veloweb (a network of shared-use paths). The project crosses Bear Creek, the Dallas County Flood Control District Number 1 Levee and Oncor transmission lines. The project scope included roadway geometrics, bridge design, retaining wall design, traffic analysis, alternative analysis, hydraulic studies, drainage design, environmental documentation, public involvement and plans, specifications and estimates (PS&E).

Challenge

Due to increased development in the surrounding areas, an east-west collector was needed to meet traffic demand and connect local traffic to arterial roadways. Conflans Road serves as a major collector in the westernmost southwest portion of Irving and terminates at SH 161. Motorists desiring to continue west to Valley View Lane must currently detour for several miles. The 1-mile extension includes a 1,607-foot bridge over the Bear Creek floodplain and levee.

Solution

The team successfully coordination with multiple public agencies and private stakeholders, which included the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE), Dallas County Flood Control District (DCFCD), City of Irving, TxDOT, Oncor Electric, Trinity River Authority (TRA) and private developers. The alignment needed to provide connectivity for two existing intersections that were offset, Conflans Road and SH 161 on the east, and FFA BLVD and Valley View Lane on the west. The team provided an alignment that placed reverse curves on a new bridge that traversed the Bear Creek floodplain governed by USACE, a levee that needed to be raised under the project and spanned to meet DCFCD requirements and the spanning of TRA easements protecting large underground sanitary sewer trunk lines. Coordination with ONCOR Electric was needed to have their high voltage transmission lines raised prior to the construction of the new bridge.

Value

The design of a curved prestressed concrete girder bridge met TxDOT oversite requirements for design and budgets, allowed federal funds to be obtained, thus allowing City of Irving to proceed with the project. Once completed in early summer of 2025, this project will provide a true connection for a significant population of the City of Irving and other regional stakeholders.