Cintra, a subsidiary of Spanish infrastructure firm Ferrovial, has opened the extension of the nearly 16km-long, $1.6bn North Tarrant Express (NTE) project two months prior to scheduled completion date.

The new section of road is expected to help improve road transportation within the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

The new stretch runs through the Interstate 30 interchange with I-35W near downtown Fort Worth to North Tarrant Parkway at the US 287 interchange.

"The new stretch runs through the Interstate 30 interchange with I-35W near downtown Fort Worth to North Tarrant Parkway at the US 287 interchange."

Commuters will be able to choose between driving through toll lanes or toll-free lanes for the entire 16km-long stretch of I-35W from I-30 near downtown Fort Worth to Heritage Trace Parkway.

According to data from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), approximately 135,000 vehicles travel on this section of I-35W on a daily basis.

The toll lanes form part of the overhaul of the interstate highway system’s I-35W corridor, which also involves the reconstruction of main lanes and the addition of two managed TEXpress toll lanes in each direction, as well as the refurbishment of bridges and fly-over ramps.

The project was largely privately funded and has received significant financial support from NTE Mobility Partners in return for the rights to collect tolls on the road for a 50-year period.

Highlighting the importance of having a modern transport network to support the state economy, Ferrovial president Rafael del Pino noted that the TEXpress Lanes are already helping to alleviate traffic in the area.

Almost 1,400 professionals worked daily on the project during the construction phase.

In addition, more than 1,000 suppliers participated in the construction, including 740 that were local to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Ferrovial, via its toll roads subsidiary Cintra, is currently leading the consortium that originally won the rights to the project in 2013.