Interstate 820 (I-820) is a loop of
I-20 in
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
, of approximately 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 cosigned with
State Highway 121 (SH 121) as well as
SH 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 Fort 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.
Route description
I-820 begins in the southwestern
Fort Worth
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
at an interchange with
I-20. It heads north from this interchange to a junction with
State Highway Spur 580 (Spur 580) before reaching
I-30 i30, I30, i-30 or I-30 may refer to:
*Interstate 30, an Interstate Highway in the southern United States
*, an Imperial Japanese Navy submarine during World War II
* (1940-1968), a Royal Australian Navy ''Tribal''-class destroyer
*I30, a 9000 serv ...
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
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth (abbreviated NAS JRB Fort Worth) includes Carswell Field, a military airbase located west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military a ...
as it passes over Lake Worth. I-820 passes through the city of
Lake Worth briefly with junctions at
SH 199 and
Farm to Market Road 1220 (FM 1220) before reentering Fort Worth city limits. Continuing to the northeast, a junction with
Business U.S. Route 287-P (Bus. US 287-P) provides access to
Fort Worth Meacham International Airport
Fort Worth Meacham International Airport (Meacham Field) is a general aviation airport located near the intersection of Interstate 820 and Business U.S. Highway 287 in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It is named after former Fort Worth Mayor ...
. At an interchange with
FM 156 in the city of
Saginaw
Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
, I-820 begins to head toward the east. Continuing east, I-820 has a junction with
I-35W Interstate 35W may refer to:
* Interstate 35W (Texas), an Interstate highway serving Fort Worth, Texas, and its suburbs
* Interstate 35W (Minnesota), a Interstate highway serving Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its suburbs
**The I-35W Mississippi Riv ...
at a stack interchange. The freeway enters the city limits of
Haltom City
Haltom City is a city, part of the Dallas–Fort Worth region, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. Its population was 46,073 at the 2020 census. Haltom City is an inner suburb of Fort Worth, a principal city of the DFW Metroplex. The city ...
at North Beach Street and has an interchange with
U.S. Route 377 (US 377) before entering
North Richland Hills
North Richland Hills, commonly known as NRH, is a city inside Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a mid-to-high end suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 69,917 at the 2020 census, making it the third largest city in Tarrant County. I ...
. As it passes through North Richland Hills, the freeway turns toward the southeast briefly before turning back toward the east at
SH 26. As it enters
Hurst
Hurst may refer to:
Places England
* Hurst, Berkshire, a village
* Hurst, North Yorkshire, a hamlet
* Hurst, a settlement within the village of Martock, Somerset
* Hurst, West Sussex, a hamlet
* Hurst Spit, a shingle spit in Hampshire
** Hurs ...
, the freeway has an interchange with a
concurrent
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
SH 121 and
SH 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 toward the southwest. Continuing toward 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 Lancaster Avenue
SH 180; and Rosedale Street
Spur 303 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.
History
The highway was first conceived in 1949 as a
beltway
A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop, bypass or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city, or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist i ...
around
Fort Worth
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
. 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
State Highway Loop 217 (Loop 217) from SH 121 and SH 183 to Hulen Street, while the section of Loop 217 from Hulen Street to US 377 was designated as State Highway Loop 820 (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 redesignated as
I-20 on December 2, 1971, and finished construction in 1982, completing a continuous loop around Fort Worth.
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
North Texas (also commonly called North Central Texas) is a term used primarily by residents of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas to describe much of the north central portion of the U.S. state of Texas. Residents of the Dallas–Fort Wo ...
, 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.
North Tarrant Express
The North Tarrant Express (NTE) was a construction project that was supposed to add additional lanes, add
high occupancy toll lanes
A high-occupancy toll lane (or HOT lane) is a type of traffic lane or roadway that is available to high-occupancy vehicles and other exempt vehicles without charge; other vehicles are required to pay a variable fee that is adjusted in response t ...
, add continuous frontage roads, and reconstruct the interchange with I-35W and various other interchanges between I-35W and SH 121/SH 183. However, this plan was modified, with the additional mainlanes not being built, though TxDOT plans to widen the freeway by no later than 2030.
[ The NTE began construction in October 2010 and was completed in June 2015.]
Exit list
References
External links
Interstate Guide: I-820
I-820 info page
€”from dfwfreeways.info
{{3di, 20
Transportation in Tarrant County, Texas
20-8
20-8
8
820
__NOTOC__
Year 820 ( DCCCXX) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Abbasid Caliphate
*Abbasid caliph Al-Ma'mun appointed Isa ibn Yazid al-Juludi as Abbasid gove ...