A portion of Hillcrest Road that was closed for 54 weeks for continued construction of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Silver Line Regional Rail project re-opened Thursday, Feb. 6, to commuters traveling through North Dallas.

Hillcrest Road opened with one lane of traffic in each direction in the inside lanes before resuming to multiple lanes at McCallum to the north and Wester Way to the south. Medians separate the open lanes, so drivers are encouraged to proceed slowly, with caution, through the area.

DART and the City of Dallas mutually agreed to delay Hillcrest Road’s opening by two weeks primarily to ensure backup measures of a newly constructed pump station could be installed. The pump station was added to the design to relieve excess water from the roadway during heavy rains, and it worked as designed during the recent rain that affected the area in late January.

“We appreciate the understanding that the residents and daily commuters in this area have shown us as we’ve worked to advance the re-construction of Hillcrest Road,” said Trey Walker, DART vice president of construction and capital projects. “The extension allowed us to get more work done as safely and efficiently as possible. We trust drivers will enjoy the new roadway and Silver Line passengers will enjoy the new rail service, once we’re in operations.”

The 1/5-mile stretch of Hillcrest Road was originally closed on Jan. 25, 2024, as crews built a new section of roadway underneath a raised rail guideway for the Silver Line. The closure, which included no access to Hillcrest Road between McCallum Boulevard and Wester Way, was made to ensure maximum safety for the public and construction crews in the highly populated area.

 Crews excavated down through almost 18 feet of rock and dirt to construct the new portion of Hillcrest Road that will take drivers underneath a Silver Line rail bridge. A newly constructed pedestrian bridge was built adjacent to the new rail bridge.

 The pedestrian bridge is part of the Cotton Belt Regional Trail, a North Central Texas Council of Governments project being constructed alongside most of the Silver Line’s 26 miles of track. Pedestrians will have access to a designated temporary walkway on the eastside of the roadway barrier wall until the fully constructed sidewalk is completed later this month. 

 With major construction primarily complete, DART will alert drivers of any further changes in traffic flow through consistent communication with the City of Dallas and providing updates to nearby cities who may have commuters that frequent the area.

The closure is near the City of Richardson border and encompasses a portion of Plano ISD, so DART maintained consistent communication with both regarding construction updates and safety measures. Dallas Police and Dallas Fire Rescue, which provide emergency services to the area, were also kept informed on construction progress and assured access to restricted areas, if needed, in case of emergency. 

 The DART Silver Line is a 26-mile commuter rail that crosses seven cities (Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson, Plano) and three counties, while connecting riders from East Plano to DFW Airport’s Terminal B and several stops in between. Once operating, later this year to early 2026, the rail service aims to improve mobility and accessibility across the northern portion of the DART service area.

To learn more about the Silver Line Regional Rail Project, please visit dart.org/silverline.