FORT WORTH — An unpopular relic of last century's highway design — the left-lane freeway exit — is about to change in north Fort Worth.
Beginning by 10 a.m. Sunday, the left exit from westbound Loop 820 to southbound Interstate 35W will be replaced by a new exit on the right side of 820.
The new ramp will be open after a weekend of construction and lane closures in the area, said Heather DeLapp, spokeswoman for Ferrovial Agroman US Corp., one of the lead companies in the North Tarrant Express I-35W project.
The new exit is expected to be much safer long-term, but officials are concerned drivers on westbound Loop 820 may be caught off-guard and try to swerve across three lanes to take the exit. After all, some drivers have been taking the left-lane exit since the late 1960s or early '70s.
The result could be a high-speed crash.
"We do know based on previous experience that drivers are creatures of habit," DeLapp said. "We'll do everything we can as far as putting up signage to try to direct people to the right place."
Portable message boards will be installed along westbound Loop 820 in Haltom City and North Richland Hills, several miles ahead of the new ramp, to give motorists enough time to switch lanes safely, she said.
Overhead signs along Loop 820 may also point motorists toward the new ramp, she said.
