Removal of Jefferson Boulevard would cut ‘essential’ downtown to Oak Cliff connection, city council say

Based on notes by Dallas Documenter Brianna Patt 

Dallas City Council members were critical of plans eliminating the direct connection between the Jefferson Blvd Viaduct and downtown, cutting off a major road from Oak Cliff to accommodate a planned convention center expansion.

During a March Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting, staff briefed the council members about a structural conflict between the Jefferson Viaduct and planned upgrades to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. 

Because of the starting height of the convention center, the viaduct would cut through the first floor above ground level, impacting a planned exhibit hall and potential entryways.

Staff originally planned to build the convention center high enough to allow the viaduct to go underneath, but were asked to lower costs as the price tag for the expansion has reached $3.5 billion.

As a way to save $500 million, staff have lowered the structure of the building and are suggesting bringing the Jefferson Viaduct down to the intersection of Hotel Street and Memorial Drive via a downramp.

This would dead-end Jefferson directly at the convention center.

The bridge over I-30 and I-35, which includes the Jefferson and Houston viaducts connecting Oak Cliff and downtown, is already set to see major changes.

The Houston Viaduct, which runs parallel to Jefferson and moves traffic north to south, is set to become a pedestrian green space and public transit route, which would make Jefferson a four-lane, two-way road.

This change to Houston and the staff’s proposed changes to Jefferson would mean that traffic coming from and to Oak Cliff would have to go around the convention center along Hotel Street or hop on the highway.

No traffic study has been done for this plan.

Staff also brief the committee on two other options. The second option would bring Jefferson down and connect it to the Memorial Drive underpass. This would still have some of the same issues as the initial problem, requiring them to cut through ground floor in the middle of the convention center, as well as requiring expensive beams to elevate the building.

A third option would dead-end part of Jefferson down to Hotel Street and Memorial Drive, similar to the first option, but would also merge Jefferson with a section of the Houston Viaduct leading into downtown.

This would be the costliest option, would impact the Houston greenspace and would conflict with the garage and other property currently in the middle of the bridge.

Council members were pretty critical of all the options presented and asked staff to go back to the drawing board.

District 1 Council Member Chad West said the first option, the one he views as the most viable, still runs the risk of bottleneck traffic. He also urged staff to speak with stakeholders and property owners that would be impacted around the bridge.

District 12 Council Member Cara Mendelsohn said the options staff are recommending would disconnect the core of the city.

She suggested bringing up the convention center height to accommodate for Jefferson, not the other way around. 

“I’m really concerned that we’re making this change in the building itself to save $500 million,” she said. “It’s not a small amount of money, but you’re going to forever change the traffic, which is going to be a nightmare for people… I feel like you’re cutting something that’s really essential to the future of our entire city and how that traffic moves.”

District 14 Council Member Paul Ridley, who is also chair of the committee, was also critical and said staff should return at the April 20 meeting with more options and traffic studies.

Dallas Documenters Brianna Patt attended the March 23 City of Dallas’ Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting, and this brief emerged from his notes. Read the full Transportation meeting notes here. Watch the meeting here.

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