Interstate 820
Interstate 820 (I-820) is a loop of Interstate 20 in Fort Worth, Texas of approximately 35.17 miles (56.60 km) around the city and some of its suburbs. Exit numbers begin at its intersection with I-20 in southwest Fort Worth, and continue in a clockwise direction around the city until it ends at its intersection with I-20 in southeast Fort Worth. A portion of I-820 in the northeast quadrant is co-signed with State Highway 121 as well as State Highway 183. The northwest segment of the loop is officially designated as the Jim Wright Freeway after former United States House Speaker Jim Wright. However, the name is not commonly used, the colloquial reference by the general public is "Loop 820", or simply just 820. Additionally the area of the highway is given based on its direction from downtown Ft Worth, for example: "North Loop 820" or "East Loop 820" respectively specify the areas to the north or east of downtown. These colloquial designations do not refer to the direction of traffic flow.
![]() I-820 highlighted in red | ||||
Route information | ||||
Auxiliary route of I-20 | ||||
Maintained by TxDOT | ||||
Length | 35.173 mi[1] (56.605 km) | |||
Existed | October 1, 1959[1]–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | ![]() | |||
East end | ![]() | |||
Location | ||||
Counties | Tarrant | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Route description
I-820 begins in the southwestern Fort Worth at an interchange with I-20. It heads north from this interchange to a junction with Spur 580 before reaching I-30 at a stack interchange. Continuing to the north, the Interstate begins to turn to the northeast as it approaches Lake Worth. It passes near Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth as it passes over Lake Worth. I-820 passes through the city of Lake Worth briefly with junctions at SH 199 and FM 1220 before reentering Fort Worth city limits. Continuing to the northeast, a junction with U.S. Route 287 Business provides access to Fort Worth Meacham International Airport. At an interchange with FM 156 in the city of Saginaw, I-820 begins to head towards the east. Continuing east, I-820 has a junction with I-35W at a stack interchange. The freeway enters the city limits of Haltom City at North Beach Street and has an interchange with US 377 before entering North Richland Hills. As it passes through North Richland Hills, the freeway turns towards the southeast briefly before turning back towards the east at SH 26. As it enters Hurst the freeway has an interchange with a concurrent SH 121 and State Highway 183. I-820 begins to head south after the interchange, now running concurrently with SH 121 and SH 183. At an interchange with SH 10, SH 183 leaves the concurrency to the west. At the next exit, SH 121 leaves I-820 towards the southwest. Continuing towards the South, I-820 leaves Hurst and reenters the Fort Worth city limits. Heading south through eastern Fort Worth, I-820 has a second junction with I-30, also at a stack interchange. After the interchange, the freeway continues south to a junction at SH 180 near Lake Arlington. I-820 begins to follow the western shore of Lake Arlington to an interchange with US 287. I-820 and US 287 both continue to the south to an interchange with I-20 at the end of I-820.[2]
History
![](../I/Texas_Loop_820.svg.png.webp)
The highway was first conceived in 1949 as a beltway around Fort Worth. It was originally designated from I-20 (now I-30) southeast, east, north, and west to I-35W. On April 18, 1963, I-820 was designated to use existing Loop 217 from SH 121 & SH 183 to Hulen Street, while the section of Loop 217 from Hulen Street to US 377 was designated as Loop 820. On September 1, 1965, another section of Loop 820 from I-20 north and east to I-35W was designated. This section of Loop 820 from I-20 north and east to I-35W became part of I-820 on January 21, 1969, making I-820 a full loop. The first section to open ran from McCart Avenue to US 377 at a cost of $11 million. On May 13, 1977, the remainder of Loop 820 became part of an extended SH 183. The southern leg of the loop was re-designated as I-20 on December 2, 1971 and finished construction in 1982, completing a continuous loop around Fort Worth.[3] Despite no longer being officially designated as I-820 on the southern arc (which is officially part of I-20), it is still unofficially referred to as Loop 820 for business purposes, and the frontage roads and business addresses along the southern arc still bear the names "SW Loop 820" and "SE Loop 820."
The loop is often considered the most congested road in North Texas, with the interchanges at Rufe Snow Drive, Holiday Lane and Denton Highway (US 377) being named the first, second and third worst, respectively, in 2010.[4]
Future
I-820 is currently in the process of undergoing a massive reconstruction project between I-35W and SH 121/SH 183 known as the North Tarrant Express. The project was supposed to add additional lanes, add high occupancy toll lanes, add continuous frontage roads, and reconstruct the interchange with I-35W and various other interchanges. However, this plan was modified. The North Tarrant Express began construction in October 2010[5] and was completed in June 2015.[6]
Exit list
The entire route is in Tarrant County.
Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fort Worth | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1 | ![]() | Southbound exit and northbound entrance, western terminus; exit 1 is for 20 west; I-20 exit 428 | |
0.83 | 1.34 | 1A | Team Ranch Road | southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
2.01 | 3.23 | 1B | Chapin Road | no direct southbound exit (signed at exit 2) | ||
2.45 | 3.94 | 2 | ![]() | Former US 80 | ||
3.39 | 5.46 | 3 | ![]() | Split into exits 3A (west) and 3B (east); I-30 exits 5A-B westbound, 5B-C eastbound | ||
3.79 | 6.10 | 3C | Westpoint Boulevard / Alemeda Street | southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
4.97 | 8.00 | 4 | White Settlement Road | |||
5.34 | 8.59 | 5A | Clifford Street | |||
5.92 | 9.53 | 5B | Silver Creek Road | |||
6.67 | 10.73 | 6 | Las Vegas Trail / Heron Drive | |||
7.35– 7.83 | 11.83– 12.60 | Bridge over Lake Worth | ||||
7.95– 8.59 | 12.79– 13.82 | 8 | Navajo Trail / Cahoba Drive | |||
9.53 | 15.34 | 9 | Quebec Street | no direct westbound exit (signed at exit 10A) | ||
Fort Worth–Lake Worth line | 10.09 | 16.24 | 10A | ![]() | ||
Lake Worth | 10.57 | 17.01 | 10B | ![]() | no direct eastbound exit (signed at exit 10A) | |
Fort Worth | 12.41– 12.81 | 19.97– 20.62 | 12 | Marine Creek Parkway / Old Decatur Road | Signed as exits 12A (Marine Creek Parkway) and 12B (Old Decatur Road) westbound | |
13.88 | 22.34 | 13 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||
14.19 | 22.84 | 14 | Railhead Road | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
Saginaw–Fort Worth line | 15.12 | 24.33 | 15 | ![]() | ||
Fort Worth | 16.42 | 26.43 | 16C | Mark IV Parkway | ||
16.91 | 27.21 | 16 | ![]() ![]() | Signed as exits 16A (north) and 16B (south); left exit westbound; I-35W exits 57A-B | ||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |||||
17.63 | 28.37 | 17 | North Riverside Drive | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
Haltom City | 18.20– 19.00 | 29.29– 30.58 | 18 | Haltom Road / North Beach Street | ||
19.73 | 31.75 | 19 | ![]() | no direct eastbound exit (signed at exit 18) | ||
North Richland Hills | 20.48 | 32.96 | 20A | Iron Horse Boulevard / Meadow Lakes Drive | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |
![]() ![]() | westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |||||
21.21 | 34.13 | 20B | Rufe Snow Drive | signed as exit 20 eastbound | ||
21.85 | 35.16 | 21 | Holiday Lane | no direct eastbound exit (signed at exit 20) | ||
22.67 | 36.48 | 22A | ![]() ![]() ![]() | signed as exit 22B northbound, access to North Hills Hospital | ||
Hurst | 23.21– 23.45 | 37.35– 37.74 | 22B | ![]() ![]() | north end of SH 121 / SH 183 overlap; signed as exit 22A northbound | |
23A | ![]() ![]() ![]() | northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||||
23.77 | 38.25 | 23 | ![]() | Access to North Hills Hospital | ||
24.84 | 39.98 | 24A | ![]() ![]() | south end of SH 183 overlap; signed as exit 24 northbound | ||
25.04 | 40.30 | 24B | ![]() | south end of SH 121 overlap; no direct northbound exit (signed at exit 24) | ||
Fort Worth | 25.63 | 41.25 | 25 | Trinity Boulevard | ||
26.98 | 43.42 | 26 | Randol Mill Road | |||
27.81 | 44.76 | 27 | John T. White Road / Bridge Street | |||
28.27 | 45.50 | 28A | ![]() | Signed as exits 28A (east) and 28B (west) southbound; I-30 exit 21A eastbound, 21B-C westbound | ||
28.65 | 46.11 | 28B | Brentwood Stair Road | signed as exit 28C southbound | ||
29.33 | 47.20 | 29 | Meadowbrook Drive | |||
29.94 | 48.18 | 30A | Craig Street | no direct northbound exit (signed with SH 180) | ||
30.14 | 48.51 | 30B | ![]() | Former US 80/signed as exit 30A northbound | ||
30.50 | 49.08 | 30B | ![]() | no direct southbound exit (signed with SH 180) | ||
31.13 | 50.10 | 30C | Ramey Avenue | |||
32.07 | 51.61 | 31 | East Berry Street | |||
32.87 | 52.90 | 32 | Wilbarger Street | no direct northbound exit (signed at exit 33B); no southbound entrance | ||
33.28– 33.37 | 53.56– 53.70 | 33A | ![]() | north end of US 287 overlap | ||
33.50 | 53.91 | 33B | Martin Street / Wilbarger Street | No southbound exit | ||
34.19 | 55.02 | 33C | Sun Valley Drive | |||
34.91 | 56.18 | 34A | ![]() ![]() | Left exit; southbound exit and northbound entrance; south end of US 287 overlap | ||
![]() | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; eastern terminus; I-20 exit 442B | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Interstate Highway No. 820". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 27, 2008.
- Google (February 24, 2008). "Overview Map of I-820" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
- Staff. "I-820 Timeline". Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- Tomaso, Bruce (February 24, 2010). "Fort Worth's Loop 820 tops list of region's worst". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- Staff. "North Tarrant Express". Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- Staff. "Project Timeline for the North Tarrant Express (NTE) Project". North Tarrant Express. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 820. |
- Interstate Guide: I-820
- I-820 info page -- from dfwfreeways.info