Assistant Transportation Director Daniel Harrig details Silver Line arch installation, July night closures planned

Assistant Director of Transportation Mobility Daniel Harrig told the Richardson Tax Increment Financing (TIF) board July 16 that the North Arch of the Silver Line aesthetic feature is scheduled for nighttime installation Thursday, July 23, through Sunday, July 26, weather permitting.

Harrig said the arches form a gateway over US 75 and were envisioned as a visible identity for the area. "This is about 80 feet tall off the ground at the highest point, and each of those is about 400 feet long," he said, describing concrete columns with offset steel arches and the hollow interior that requires periodic inspection and maintenance. He added the arches were fabricated in two locations and are staged in Richardson for final assembly.

The installation will require overnight closures: Thursday is expected to be the least impactful while Friday night will require full main-lane closures in both directions with detours onto frontage roads; Saturday and Sunday will have more limited closures, Harrig said. "Thursday night is kind of the probably the least impact... closures from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.," he said, noting times are approximate and that TxDOT approvals and high winds could change the plan.

Staff said contractors will hire off-duty police officers to manage closures and the city will hold a coordination meeting with police, fire, communications and emergency management before the closures. The city and contractor will deploy message boards, and TxDOT will provide roadway warning messaging to help drivers avoid backups.

Harrig also described lighting elements planned for the arches: uplighting on columns, white uplights from the existing rail bridge and three blue edgelit rings atop columns to reflect Richardson branding. He said final lighting work may extend into late August or September depending on equipment lead times.

On maintenance, Harrig said the city and DART are preparing a maintenance manual with the contractor to set inspection intervals and procedures to check connection plates and corrosion protection. Board members asked about the safety of crawling inside the hollow arch sections; Harrig said inspections are a contractual requirement under the DART agreement and that rescue coordination with the fire department is part of planning.

The board did not take formal action on the update; Harrig answered board questions and confirmed the installation schedule and communications plan ahead of the overnight closures.