International Parkway is a major north–south freeway in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main purpose is to provide access to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) from the metropolitan area. Part of the Parkway from its southern end at State Highway 183 (SH 183, Airport Freeway) and SH 360 to the South Toll Plaza for DFW Airport is designated as State Highway Spur 97. International Parkway is a de facto toll road, though the toll booths also handle parking fees for the airport.

State Highway Spur 97 marker

International Parkway

State Highway Spur 97
Map
International Parkway highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length7.528 mi[1] (12.115 km)
0.589 miles (0.948 km) as Spur 97[2]
6.939 miles (11.167 km) without designation[1]
ExistedSeptember 21, 1973 (1973-09-21)[3]–present
Major junctions
South end SH 183 / SH 360 in Fort Worth
North end I-635 / SH 121 / SH 114 in Grapevine
Location
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountiesTarrant
Highway system
SH 96Spur 97 SH 98

Route description edit

The International Parkway starts at an interchange with SH 183 and SH 360 southwest of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. From there it runs eastward on ramps parallel to SH 183 (Airport Freeway) before turning northward as Spur 97. The Spur 97 designation ends on the south side of the airport property before the parkway passes through a toll booth. The parkway runs across the airport property between the various terminal buildings. North of the terminals, the parkway passes through another toll booth before reaching an interchange with I-635, SH 114, and SH 121.[4]

History edit

Spur 97 was designated on May 9, 1940, on a route from SH 77 to Marietta in Cass County as a renumbering of SH 245. This route was cancelled and became a portion of FM 250 on September 26, 1945. Spur 97 was redesignated on March 31, 1965, on a route from IH 610 and SH 225 to Lawndale Ave in Houston. The route became a portion of SH 225 on April 2, 1969, when it was extended westward, as old SH 225 to SH 35 became part of I-610.[2]

The International Parkway opened to traffic on September 21, 1973;[3] the current Spur 97 designation dates to July 30, 1974.[2]

Tolls edit

All vehicles traveling on International Parkway, including those destined for the airport terminals, are required to pay a toll. The tolls operate on a ticket-based system and are payable by cash, credit or debit card, or TollTag upon exiting. Toll rates mirror the fees for Terminal Parking and are based on time spent between the toll plazas. [5]

International Parkway Toll Rates (as of March 2020)
Time Rate
Less than 8 minutes $6.00
8 minutes to 30 minutes $2.00
30 minutes to 2 hours $3.00
2 hours to 4 hours $9.00
4 hours to 6 hours $10.00
6 hours to 24 hours $24.00

The high toll rate for vehicles spending less than 8 minutes on airport property is targeted at commuters using the highway as a shortcut. It was raised from $4 to $6 on October 1, 2019.[6]

The at-grade service roads parallel to International Parkway provide a free alternative for vehicles passing through the airport property. However, they do not provide access to the airport terminals.

Exit list edit

The entire route is in Tarrant County. All exits are unnumbered.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Fort Worth0.0000.000   SH 183 / SH 360 – Irving, Dallas, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Arlington
Euless1.5642.517Rental Car Drive – Rental CarsNorth end of Spur 97; no direct southbound exit (southbound vehicles use Service Road/Airfield Drive exit)
1.8723.013Service Road / Airfield Drive – Remote South Parking, Corporate Aviation
2.6744.303South Toll Plaza
Grapevine4.3627.020Express South Parking
4.7197.594Terminal E
5.1268.249Terminal D, Grand Hyatt
5.2188.398Terminal C, Hyatt Regency
5.5238.888Terminal B
5.7009.173Terminal A
6.53710.520Express North Parking
6.91511.129North Toll Plaza
7.11611.452Airfield Drive – Remote North ParkingNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
7.52912.117 
 
  
 
I-635 east / SH 114 / SH 121 south – Grapevine, Fort Worth, Dallas
Western terminus of I-635 (Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway), exit 36A to Spur 97 southbound & 36B to Bass Pro Drive.
 
 
SH 121 north – McKinney
Continues north to Sam Rayburn Tollway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also edit

References edit

KML is from Wikidata
  1. ^ a b c Statewide Planning Map (Map). Cartography by Transportation Planning and Programming Division. Texas Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway Spur No. 97". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Airport overpasses to be opened today". Dallas Morning News. September 21, 1973.
  4. ^ Google (March 23, 2012). "Overview Map of International Parkway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  5. ^ "DFW International Airport | Parking". www.dfwairport.com. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  6. ^ "DFW Airport upping fee to $6 for 'pass-through' drivers using it as a shortcut". Dallas News. July 30, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2020.