Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), Segment 3A, North Tarrant Expressway Design/Build Project, TxDOT
Fort Worth, TX

IEA is the task manager responsible for the PS&E design of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and tolling infrastructure equipment, including tolling signs and tolling and communication equipment, cabling and connections associated with the ITS for the Segment 3A Facility of the North Tarrant Expressway (NTE) project.

Project limits include the IH 35W corridor from north of the North Tarrant Parkway to and including the IH 35W/IH 820 Interchange then south of this interchange along the IH 35W corridor to Luella Street in the City of Fort Worth, Texas.

IEA’s design services include toll gantries, electrical service centers, CCTV camera towers, Dynamic Message Signs (DMS), AVI , MVD’s, Toll rate DMS and approximately 2 miles of communication fiber optic backbone. The PS&E plans included general notes, plan sheets, details, quantities, detailed cost estimates and specifications for the ITS construction. IEA will be the engineer-of record for the ITS/Toll elements of this project.

Our team is designing a complete and operational ITS network through the project that is expandable as capacity increases along the NTE roadway in the future. IEA’s design positioned the Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) to allow motorists to safely view the messages being displayed. These are located in accordance with the TMUTCD. The ITS communications network is being designed with redundant routing capabilities to serve the highway ITS components along the highway elements of the project.

Each of the gantry designs includes tolling equipment layout, all the civil and electrical designs, transfers, loops, electrical service centers, and maintenance access. Each of the gantries is being designed with VES cabinets, VES cameras, PTZ cameras, AVI antennas, an RF Module with conduits, and equipment support conduits. The site determination process includes the ability to capture the driving public, sight distance, roadway profile and conflicts with existing and future utilities, maintenance access, and other roadway elements.

For all necessary ITS relocations, our designs are being created to maintain system operations during construction, including installing new ITS items, relocating or replacing existing ITS items, and connecting such ITS items to the existing network.

Our tolling designs integrate and maintain the connectivity of the Electronic Toll Collection System (ETCS) to properly transmit to TxDOT and NTTA a record of the tolls due from all travelling users in accordance with the toll rate policy and methodology set forth in the FA. This will ensure for TxDOT and NTTA the maximum collection of all toll payments from the travelling public in a timely, accurate and efficient manner. Our design is being completed in accordance with the TxDOT standards.