Toll rates across the bridge are $1.32 for TollTag customers and $1.98 for ZipCash drivers.[3]
Design
Bridge archway in April 2010
The bridge is 60 feet (18 m) above the normal water level to allow clearance for sailboats.
At the center of the bridge is a 360-foot (110 m) steel arch that rises 60 feet (18 m) above the road deck. The arch's design resembles the arch on the Pennybacker Bridge in Austin. At night, the arch is illuminated using LEDs, making the structure visible from the surrounding shores of the lake.[4]
History
A bridge previously connected Little Elm and Lake Dallas, but it was removed in the 1950s when the United States Army Corps of Engineers expanded Lewisville Lake. The old bridge provided a vital transportation link between Lake Dallas and Little Elm.[5]
On August 1, 2009, a 5K charity run crossing the completed bridge was held. The run, which served as a fundraiser for local food banks, was the only time pedestrians will ever be allowed to cross the bridge.[6] The bridge opened to vehicular traffic after the event was completed.
Project Costs
Project Cost Estimate: $220 million (entire corridor)[7]
Estimated NTTA Cost: $122 million (toll bridge only)[7]
Key Dates
May 2005 - The NTTA Board of Directors selected a preliminary design of the bridge, which features a distinctive tied arch spanning 360 feet (110 m) at the center with approaches and thresholds flanked by pairs of lighted columns.
Early 2006 - Completion of plans, specifications and estimates on the toll bridge and public hearings for sections 4-6 and 8. Design for sections 4-6 initiated.
Spring 2006 - Denton County broke ground on Section 1, west of the bridge, and construction is under way.
Summer 2006 - Construction on Section 3, the eastern approach to the bridge, is planned to begin in late summer 2006.
January 2007 - Groundbreaking for the bridge was held in Denton County on January 31, 2007
May 2007 - Crews have built and placed many of the rebar frames for the support columns on the west bank and will soon begin pouring concrete into them.
May 2008 - Construction of the bridge reached the halfway point.
January 2009 - All four corner pieces of the arch structure are in place.
April 2009 - The last major rib arch piece was installed. Construction is approximately 90% complete.
August 1, 2009 - Charity run and walk across bridge.[6] Bridge opens to vehicular traffic.
February 28, 2010 - Last portions of the construction work are completed, including work on the arch lighting.[8]
Corridor
The Lewisville Lake Corridor is approximately 13.8 miles long and is divided into eight sections constructed by Denton County, NTTA, the Texas Department of Transportation, Little Elm, and Frisco.[9] NTTA funded and constructed the toll bridge, while the other partners funded improvements to the roadways approaching the bridge. Only the bridge itself is tolled.
