Interstate 820 is a loop of Interstate 20 in Fort Worth, Texas 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 co-signed with State Highway 121 as well as State Highway 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.
Route description
I-820 begins in the southwestern Fort Worth at an interchange with I-20. It heads north from this interchange to a junction with Spur 580 before reaching I-30 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 as it passes over Lake Worth. I-820 passes through the city of Lake Worth briefly with junctions at SH 199 and FM 1220 before reentering Fort Worth city limits. Continuing to the northeast, a junction with U.S. Route 287 Business provides access to Fort Worth Meacham International Airport. At an interchange with FM 156 in the city of Saginaw, I-820 begins to head towards the east. Continuing east, I-820 has a junction with I-35W at a stack interchange. The freeway enters the city limits of Haltom City at North Beach Street and has an interchange with US 377 before entering North Richland Hills. As it passes through North Richland Hills, the freeway turns towards the southeast briefly before turning back towards the east at SH 26. As it enters Hurst the freeway has an interchange with a concurrentSH 121 and State Highway 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 towards the southwest. Continuing towards 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 SH 180 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 around Fort Worth. It was originally designated from I-20 southeast, east, north, and west to I-35W. On April 18, 1963, I-820 was designated to use existing Loop 217 from SH 121 & SH 183 to Hulen Street, while the section of Loop 217 from Hulen Street to US 377 was designated as 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 re-designated 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, 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, with the interchanges at Rufe Snow Drive, Holiday Lane and Denton Highway being named the first, second and third worst, respectively, in 2010.
Future
I-820 is currently in the process of undergoing a massive reconstruction project between I-35W and SH 121/SH 183 known as the North Tarrant Express. The project was supposed to add additional lanes, add high occupancy toll lanes, add continuous frontage roads, and reconstruct the interchange with I-35W and various other interchanges. However, this plan was modified. The North Tarrant Express began construction in October 2010 and was completed in June 2015.
