On The Record: The Best Of Denton, August 14, 2009 Page: 24 of 60
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Taking
The new Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge could save commuters money and miles.
By Holly Chapman
Contributing Writer
Got spare time and some extra cash in your pocket? With
both, many UNT commuters can take advantage of the
Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge, which opened Aug, 1.
A student who drives to UNT twice a week from Dallas,
Collin or east Denton counties might be able to save up to 27
hours and $85 in gas over the course of a semester by using
the bridge.
The new route could reduce previous commutes by up to
16.5 miles, said Allen Clemson, a UNT graduate and execu-
tive director of the North Texas Tollway Authority.
"For a dollar, you can save a gallon of gas," Clemson said.
Toll tag holders will pay $1 to use the bridge, whi le those
without pay $1.50.
Nicole Matous, a UNT master's student in public adminis-
tration, is already looking forward to saving time by using the
Photo by loaría Puscas
The first group of runners cross the finish line
before rain canceled the race TDP.
24
bridge.
"It will cut my commute to grad school by about 25 minutes,"
she said.
Two celebrations
Matous spoke at the July 30 dedication of the toll bridge on
behalf of her boss, State Senator Jane Nelson. Along with area
mayors, city council members, tollway employees and local resi-
dents, Matous sat in a crowded tent and watched as the opening of
the bridge was celebrated. The grand opening on August 1 brought
crowds, rain and years of waiting to a close. Before cars were
allowed on the pavement, babies were pushed in strollers under a
ceiling of umbrellas, while grandparents walked alongside, faces
smiling through the rain. The sound of jingling coins and clinking
cans could be heard as walkers donated food and money to local
food pantries.
The Lake Cities Community Food Pantry collected 3,200 pounds
of food on Saturday, said Renee Grems, coordinator at the pantry.
Some walkers stopped to buy T-shirts, Italian ices and, of course,
toll tags. Even a cancelled 5K race could not keep spirits down as
thousand s moved toward the center of the steel arches that tower
over the bridge.
Years in the making
When the last walkers exited the bridge, tires soon replaced ten-
nis shoes. The first cars to travel the bridge fulfilled almost 18 years
of planning. Although the North Texas Tollway Authority officially
broke ground in January 2007, plans for an east-west connection
of the shores of Lewisville Lake date back to a 1991 bond election
when Denton County voters agreed to allow route studies.
The fini shed bridge is part of a corridor that will connect the
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On The Record: The Best Of Denton, August 14, 2009, periodical, 2009; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth145820/m1/24/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.