Students, parents, fans and commuters driving by the Northwest High School campus in Justin will soon get some traffic relief as the district puts approved bond funds to work.
The district announced plans Wednesday that will expand Texan Drive, relocate the bus facility and add nearly 400 new parking spaces to the campus, located at the corner of Hwy 114 and FM 156.
Texan Drive upgrades
From Pike Middle School to Hwy 114, Texan Drive will be expanded to two lanes in each direction and a dedicated turn lane will be added near the Vernon Solomon Performing Arts Center for traffic entering the Northwest High School parking lot from FM 156.
The first phase of construction (from Pike to the NISD Administration Building) will take place from December 2026 to spring 2027. The second phase, from the NISD Administration Building to Hwy 114) will take place from spring 2027 to January 2028)
NISD said additional modifications from FM 156 to Pike Middle School are being planned by the City of Fort Worth and a neighboring developer since that portion of the roadway is owned by the city.
The district believes the changes will lead to more traffic going along Texan Drive from Hwy 114 to FM 156, so the district will remove the previous facilities building (the original Northwest High School) to create a more direct path past Texan Field.
Building relocation
According to the district, the relocation of the bus storage facility to behind the Northwest ISD Aquatics Center will take bus traffic off of Texan Drive, allowing busses to drive straight to Hwy 114.
The new facility is expected to open in December, and its relocation will also allow first responders at Fort Worth Fire Station No. 11 to bypass Texan Drive.
Added parking, upgrades to Texan Field
Finally, the project will add 167 parking spaces to the existing parking lots in an effort to improve the parking situation when the district hosts major events at Northwest ISD Stadium.
In addition, the district will build a new, 198-space parking lot next to the aquatic center and Box Agricultural Science Center for swim meets and agricultural events. A total of 365 parking spaces are expected to be added, in total.
Texan Field won’t miss out on the fun, as the district plans to replace seating, add new restrooms and concession stands, as well as more field event facilities around the stadium’s perimeter.
According to NISD, Texan Field hosts track meets, middle school football games and youth sporting events.
“Northwest ISD expects minimal disruption to school traffic during the process,” said the district in a press release.
No portion of Texan Drive will be shut down during construction, the district said, however, the portion of Texan Drive near Hwy 114 may be redirected in 2027 as the road is realigned.
The entire project is expected to be finished in January 2028.
“Once complete in January 2028, congestion of Hwy 114 and FM 156 into Texan Drive will dissipate from the improvements,” said the district.
The project was funded partly through the 2023 bond package with help from a tax increment financing district in Fort Worth.
For more information on the project, visit Northwest ISD’s project website.
