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43-708: The Trinity Strand Trail is a partially completed 7.8-mile-long (12.6 km), hike/bike commuter and recreational trail that would run along the course of the original Trinity River in Dallas , Texas near the Dallas Design District . The trail is intended to connect the Dallas medical district with the Katy Trail and the Trinity River Corridor . As of 2011, the project had received approximately US$ 8 million from

86-475: A dozen of the workmen fell into the torrent at this point; exaggerated reports of their drowning swept the city.] Dallas was without power for three days, all telephone and telegraph service was down, and rail service was canceled. The only way to reach Oak Cliff was by boat. West Dallas was hit harder than any other part of the city—the Dallas Times Herald said "indescribable suffering" plagued

129-537: A drowned swine or other livestock . The construction forces of the Texas & Pacific worked feverishly to safeguard the long trestle carrying their tracks across the stream. Suddenly, this whole structure turned on its side down-stream, broke loose from the rest of the track at one end and swung out into the middle of the current and began breaking up, first into large sections and then into smaller pieces, rushing madly along to some uncertain destination. [Approximately half

172-475: A place of relaxation and play for downtown residents who currently have limited outdoor recreational opportunities. Although rare, downtown Dallas has suffered severe flooding and the Trinity River Project has enlisted local and government officials for advice on extending and improving the current levee system protecting the downtown area. Current plans to improve the existing levees are part of what

215-597: A planning process began with construction on the project starting in 2005. Proponents believe this development will bring more life, commerce, revenue to the downtown Dallas region. In 2004, The Trinity Trust Foundation was formed to raise public awareness and secure private funds in support of the Trinity River Corridor Project, including the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Margaret McDermott Bridge, Ronald Kirk Bridge, trails and other components of

258-554: Is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico . Its river mouth is near the town of Anahuac , southeast of Houston . Plans from the 1890s for a shipping channel along the length of the Trinity River were scrapped because it would have required extensive dredging to make the river navigable, although several overpasses were built with very high clearances in anticipation of the shipping channel. Locks were actually built 13 miles downstream of Dallas in

301-530: Is known as the Dallas Floodway Extension project. They entail extending two existing levees and raising two others, all adjacent to the downtown Dallas area. A second component of Dallas' efforts for increased flood protection involves the construction of a series of wetlands within the Trinity basin; these wetlands are being constructed to divert excess water away from the Trinity and absorb it outside

344-497: Is still scheduled to perform the design work. As of April 2014, footings for the bridge's arches have been constructed, while steel fabrication has been taking place at Tampa Steel Erecting Company's plant in Florida. The general contractor, American Bridge, expected steel components to arrive on site in Dallas during the fall of 2014. The Trinity River Audubon Center opened in mid-October 2008. The set of trails and parks included in

387-800: The Great Trinity Forest , which at 6,000 acres (24 km ) is the largest urban bottomland forest in the world), it is one of the larger urban parks in the United States. In the late 1980s through mid-1990s, a large citizens' committee initiated by the Dallas City Council worked with staff from the City of Dallas and the regional Council of Governments (COG) to prepare a plan for use of the Trinity River Corridor in Dallas. Neighborhood groups, environmental groups and business interests formed

430-674: The Missouri River in Kansas City . Ultimately, a US$ 650,000 (US$ 20.5 million in today's terms) bond election was approved and in 1912, the Oak Cliff Viaduct (now the Houston Street Viaduct ) was opened with festivities that drew 58,000 spectators. At that time, the bridge was the longest concrete structure in the world. Following from the 1908 flooding, levees were first constructed in 1932. They were heightened in 1960 to

473-553: The River Walk in San Antonio or Lady Bird Lake in Austin . In 1998, then-mayor Ron Kirk championed a much more commercial project that aimed to renovate the river through Dallas. Voters approved a bond proposal to fund a major cleanup of the river, construction of park facilities, wildlife habitats, flood-protection devices such as levees , and related road construction. Once passed,

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516-524: The 30 ft that has been maintained to the early 21st century. Current plans to improve the existing levees are part of what is known as the Dallas Floodway Extension project and the Trinity River Project . They entail extending two existing levees and raising two others, all adjacent to the downtown Dallas area. Downtown Dallas also suffered severe flooding in 1990. Minor flooding of the Trinity River occurs frequently, such as, for instance, in

559-474: The Trinity River flood zone in downtown Dallas into the nation's largest urban park, featuring three signature bridges designed by acclaimed architect Santiago Calatrava . A similar project is planned by the Tarrant Regional Water District, City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Streams & Valleys Inc., and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop an area north of "downtown" as "uptown" along

602-539: The Trinity River just southeast of Dallas. The Trinity flows southeast from Dallas across a fertile floodplain and the pine forests of eastern Texas. The Trinity crosses Texas State Highway 31 in Henderson County , near where the first county seat, Buffalo, was established. Roughly 65 miles (105 km) north of the mouth on Galveston Bay, an earthen dam was built in 1968 to form Lake Livingston . The river empties into Trinity Bay , an arm of Galveston Bay that

645-541: The Trinity River. However, the Corps is working nearby on the Dallas Floodway Extension Project. The DFE Project is under construction and is helping to fulfill their mission, as directed by Congress in cooperation with the city of Dallas. It is helping to lower flood risk, and provide ecosystem restoration and recreation to the citizens of Dallas. The Trinity River Corridor Project is intended to transform

688-405: The Trinity River. This plan promotes a large mixed-use development adjacent to the central city area of Fort Worth, with a goal to prevent urban sprawl by promoting the growth of a healthy, vibrant urban core. The Trinity River Vision lays the groundwork to enable Fort Worth 's central business district to double in size over the next forty years. Major flooding occurred on the Trinity River in

731-518: The Trinity. This had already been tried following the 1890 flood; the result was the "Long Wooden Bridge" that connected Jefferson Boulevard in Oak Cliff and Cadiz in Dallas, but the resulting unstable bridge was easily washed away by the 1908 flood. George B. Dealey , publisher of the Dallas Morning News , proposed a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) concrete bridge based on the design of a bridge crossing

774-630: The West Fork near downtown Fort Worth and continues as the West Fork. The Elm Fork Trinity River flows south from near Gainesville through Ray Roberts Lake and east of the city of Denton , eventually through Lewisville Lake . The West Fork and the Elm Fork merge as they enter the city of Dallas . The East Fork Trinity River (on old maps the Bois d'Arc River) begins near McKinney, Texas , and flows through Lavon Lake and then Lake Ray Hubbard before joining

817-707: The West Fork, the Clear Fork, the Elm Fork, and the East Fork. The West Fork Trinity River has its headwaters in Archer County . From there it flows southeast, through the man-made reservoirs Lake Bridgeport and Eagle Mountain Lake , and eastward through Lake Worth and the city of Fort Worth . The Clear Fork Trinity River begins north of Weatherford, Texas , and flows southeastward through Lake Weatherford and Benbrook Lake reservoirs. It flows northeastward, where it joins

860-407: The aforementioned bridges pass over the lakes before entering downtown. The project also contains a 40,000-acre (160 km ) impact zone for economic development along the Trinity River. It will include retail, restaurants, residential developments, and offices, and also attract business into the city. Currently there exists a broad section of developed land between the skyscrapers of downtown and

903-455: The area. Much to the horror of residents, thousands of livestock drowned in the flood and some became lodged in the tops of trees. The stench of their decay hung over the city as the water subsided. After the disastrous flood, the city's citizenry wanted to find a way to control the unpredictable Trinity River and to build a bridge linking Oak Cliff and Dallas. The immediate reaction was clamor to build an indestructible, all-weather crossing over

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946-407: The bike paths, cost $ 235 million; its total length is 570 meters (1,870 ft) with a main span of 365 meters (1,198 ft), and an apex-height of 122 meters (400 ft). The Trinity River Corridor Project has been billed as a threefold venture: one that seeks to protect downtown Dallas against future flooding, to improve transportation through the congested downtown district, and to provide

989-598: The city of Dallas bonds and the North Central Texas Council of Governments combined. Trail construction began in 2010 and a 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) segment was finished in 2014 at a cost of $ 5.4 million. The trail is supported by a non-profit organization Friends of the Trinity Strand Trail, formed in 2002. The non-profit is partnered with another local non-profit, Friends of the Katy Trail, to connect

1032-413: The completion dates on many of these projects have been pushed back. The city of Dallas spent $ 4 million to build the standing wave whitewater course. The attraction opened in 2011 but was almost immediately deemed unsafe. The city spent another $ 2 million to remove the course in 2018. In September 2023, updated plans for a Trinity River park were revealed. The plans marked a significant departure from

1075-778: The direction of Dallas officials, the North Texas Tollway Authority ( NTTA ), and the Texas Department of Transportation ( TxDOT ), the tollway was to have been constructed on the side of the Trinity closest to downtown. It would have accommodated four lanes of traffic, with some sections possibly increased to six lanes; the parkway was to cost approximately $ 1.8 billion. The Trinity River Project incorporates several new recreational developments aimed at improving quality of life for downtown Dallas residents and visitors. These include an Audubon center (opened in October 2008 at

1118-471: The early 1900s. Original federal plans called for building 36 locks and dams from Trinity Bay near Houston to Dallas. The first built was Lock and Dam No. 1 in the city of Dallas at McCommas Bluff, directly west of Lincoln Memorial Cemetery. Lock construction came to a standstill in the wake of World War I, however. Only Lock and Dam Nos. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 20 and 25 were built. There are currently no plans for addressing these old locks located in various spots along

1161-484: The large majority of the members. Neighborhoods wanted recreational amenities; environmental groups wanted to preserve one of the largest remaining riparian forests in the state of Texas; business groups wanted to build a multi-lane highway along the river corridor. Charlie Johnson of the Loop 12 area chaired the subcommittee that named the large natural area near the confluence of White Rock Creek as The Great Trinity Forest. She

1204-507: The project allowed for a "parkway" within the project area. By 2007, Dallas business and political leaders had convinced the city to plan for a six- to eight-lane tollway that would link the suburban North Dallas area to southern-bound freeways with no entrance or exit ramps near the park. Following a requirement by the Army Corps of Engineers to move the road into the proposed park area, city councilwoman Angela Hunt and local activists argued that

1247-483: The project have varying start and end dates: for most, construction has already begun or will begin this year and is set to be complete in 2009. The standing wave will also begin construction in 2008 with a completion date of spring 2009. Both the sports complex and horse park are slated to break ground in 2009, with completion dates of 2010 and 2011, respectively. The two lakes are scheduled to begin construction in 2011 with an opening date of 2014. Due to funding issues,

1290-600: The project. On December 12, 2005, construction on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge began — the bridge is one of three Santiago Calatrava -designed bridges to be constructed as part of the project. Though official construction began almost a year and a half earlier, heavy construction did not start until June 2008. Completed in 2012, it connects Woodall Rodgers Freeway in downtown to Singleton Avenue in west Dallas . The conventional concrete pier-and-beam bridge with cosmetic arches and cable stays, supporting only

1333-483: The river channel, further reducing flood danger. Two sections of wetlands are under construction, an Upper Chain and a Lower Chain , with the latter completed in 2008. The Trinity Parkway , the most controversial portion of the project, was a proposed nine-mile (14 km) parkway located inside the river levees but above the floodplain; it was to provide an alternate route for Dallas residents and business travelers, and relieve intense Dallas highway traffic. Under

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1376-417: The road would cripple the planned development; tollway supporters pointed to the planned roadway's ability to decongest the undersized "Mixmaster" interchange between I-35, I-30 and US-75, and argued that attempting to move the road would require a cost-prohibitive exercise of eminent domain. In a referendum sparked by Hunt, voters narrowly approved the construction of the toll road, thanks primarily to voters in

1419-498: The second signature bridge, will replace the existing Interstate 30 bridge over the Trinity River. It was originally scheduled to begin construction in 2011, and be completed by 2014. However, in late 2011 funding for the bridge was moved to come from within the Project Pegasus initiative, with construction contracts to be awarded in mid-2012. The new plan features 'toned-down' elements of its original arch design, although Calatrava

1462-587: The site of an illegal landfill in South Dallas), a set of new trails for biking, hiking, and walking, parks, a standing wave, sports complexes, a horse park, and two manmade lakes. These amenities are set to be added to various areas adjacent to downtown Dallas. The two lakes, named the Urban Lake and the Natural Lake by project officials, are set to be built in line with the Dallas cityscape so that cars crossing

1505-489: The spring of 2015 and summer of 2022. Trinity River Corridor Project The Trinity River Project is a public works project undertaken in the 2000s in the city of Dallas , Texas , United States . Its goal is to redevelop the Trinity River . The project aims to turn the river's path into a collection of sports fields, trails, nature centers, and recreational opportunities. At 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) (including

1548-510: The suburban north end of the city. After the referendum controversy continued, citizens began to change their minds and the city council finally cancelled the road project in August 2017. The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, the largest portion of the Trinity project started thus far, is currently complete and open to traffic connecting Spur 366 to Singleton Blvd. Completed at a cost of $ 120 million, it opened March 2012. The Margaret McDermott Bridge ,

1591-574: The trail with Katy Trail. A land donation valued at $ 2 million was secured for the connection in 2007. Trinity River (Texas) The Trinity River was previously identified as the stream that the Caddo called Arkikosa in Central Texas and Daycoa nearer the coast. However, in 2022, language preservationists from the Caddo Nation determined their ancestral language lacked the letter “R” sound. Arkikosa

1634-476: The vision for the development. The park would be named after Dallas businessman Harold Simmons and would come with a $ 325 million price significantly higher than the Trinity River Conservancy's $ 150 million proposed project announced in 2015. In addition, where previous plans called for a nature-oriented park inside the river levees, the new proposed project would feature amenities set mostly outside

1677-531: The water's edge of the Trinity and the two lakes. Recently, Dallas city hall has put forth new zoning laws concerning this area; this new legislation redefines the types of structures that can be built in this area and extends downtown's sphere of influence with its model of highrise and high density construction out to the Trinity river. Although the original bond proposal was passed in 1998, work progressed slowly. A proposed toll road garnered significant criticism from community activists. The 1998 bond proposal for

1720-405: The years 1844, 1866, 1871, and 1890, but a major event in the spring of 1908 set in motion the harnessing of the river. On 26 May 1908, the Trinity River reached a depth of 52.6 feet (16.03 m) and a width of 1.5 miles (2.4 km). Five people died, 4,000 were left homeless, and property damage was estimated at $ 2.5 million. Now the wreckage of a shed or outhouse would move by, followed by

1763-637: Was also a tireless advocate for the people of her minority neighborhood. Environmentalists such as Ned and Genie Fritz of the Texas Conservation Association and Diana Christopulos of the Sierra Club's Dallas Group were instrumental in the original conservation planning, and many others have carried it on for over 30 years. The Great Trinity River Project has since become one of the most impressive municipal efforts combining conservation, recreation and thoughtful development. Mayor Steve Bartlett

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1806-469: Was largely supportive of the citizens' committee efforts. However, Mayor Ron Kirk initially rejected all work to date when he assumed office. He preferred business and commercial ventures. Businesses and businessmen, like Ross Perot, Jr. , have pushed in recent years to build a multimillion-dollar, landmark bridge over the river and convert the section of the river near downtown into a park area, with nearby commercial and retail services, somewhat similar to

1849-603: Was likely a corruption or misspelling of the word Akokisa. In the vernacular of another tribe, the Atakapa who settled in the Gulf Coast woodlands, Akokisa means “river people.” French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle , in 1687, named the river, Riviere des canoës ("River of Canoes"). In 1690 Spanish explorer Alonso de León named it, "La Santísima Trinidad" ("the Most Holy Trinity"). The Trinity River has four branches:

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