Three Highway Corridors Generated $25.1 Billion in Economic Output

10-year analysis finds the corridors supported more than 121,400 jobs and provided $314.1 million to TxDOT

DALLAS-FORT WORTH, Aug. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new case study indicates that three major North Texas highway corridors generated $25.1 billion in regional economic output over the past decade. The LBJ Express, North Tarrant Express (NTE) and NTE 35W corridors supported more than 121,400 full-time-equivalent jobs and delivered $314.1 million in value to the Texas Department of Transportation through revenue sharing and financial payments.

The corridors opened between 2014 and 2023 and together span 43 miles across Dallas and Tarrant counties and were developed through public-private partnerships with TxDOT to add capacity to some of the region's most heavily traveled highways while maintaining free general-purpose lanes alongside managed lanes.

The case study provides a decade of operating data on transportation capacity, mobility and the performance of a $7.2 billion public-private infrastructure investment in one of the nation's fastest-growing regions.

"This 10-year record gives us an opportunity to look at what these projects have delivered and what we can learn from them as North Texas continues to grow," said Pablo Ferrando, chief executive officer of TEXpress Highways. "The corridors have added capacity, improved mobility and generated value that can be reinvested in transportation."

During the decade covered by the analysis, regional traffic increased 55%. The study found that the managed lanes:

• Mitigated peak-hour congestion by 30%;
• Delivered more than 3 million cumulative hours of travel-time savings; and
• Reduced peak-hour travel time by 35% for drivers using the managed lanes.

The analysis also documents $314.1 million in financial value provided to TxDOT through revenue sharing, refinancing gains, financial credits, committed payments and other efficiencies, including:

• $87.6 million in cumulative revenue sharing;
• $102.1 million in payments toward I-35W Segment 3C;
• $58.1 million in mandatory sharing of debt-refinancing gains;
• $48.5 million in payments for NTE ramp expansions; and
• $17.8 million in savings and other financial benefits.

Since opening, 42 million distinct vehicles have used the corridors, with approximately 1 million trips taken each day. In 2025, more than 85% of paid-lane customers used the managed lanes one to three times per week, while 70% spent less than $30 per month in tolls. The study reports an 81% driver satisfaction rate.

Under the public-private partnership agreements with TxDOT, the corridors remain publicly owned while private concessionaires assume long-term operating, financial and construction responsibilities. Across the three corridors, operators maintain 746 lane-miles, including general-purpose lanes, managed lanes, frontage roads, bridges and ramps.

"North Texas is going to continue growing, and our transportation infrastructure needs to grow with it," said Michael Morris, P.E., director of transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. "We need to continue looking at a range of tools to add capacity, improve reliability and maintain the transportation system we already have. Ten years of operating experience gives policymakers real-world data to consider as we plan for the region's future."

The 10-year record comes as North Texas moves into its next phase of transportation investment. Approximately $414 million in toll revenue is funding the NTE Capacity Improvement Project, which is adding one free general-purpose lane in each direction along Northeast Loop 820 from Riverside Drive to Boulevard 26 and one managed lane in each direction along SH 121/183 from Bedford-Euless Road to Industrial Boulevard. The project uses no TxDOT or taxpayer funding and is scheduled for completion in early 2027.

Read the full 10-year case study.

About TEXpress Lanes

The LBJ Express, North Tarrant Express and NTE 35W comprise a 43-mile network of dynamically priced managed lanes operating alongside free general-purpose lanes across Dallas and Tarrant counties. Developed through public-private agreements with TxDOT, the corridors remain publicly owned while private concessionaires operate and maintain the full highway footprint. The network provides drivers with a choice of managed lanes while preserving free travel options throughout the system.

SOURCE TEXpress Lanes