Photo by Advocate Media
The Jefferson/12th Connector will close permanently Saturday, Oct. 15, as part of a plan to take back former pieces of real estate, which will be turned into a park.
The six-lane roadway was constructed where there used to be single-family homes, sometime before 1960. The planned park is meant to reconnect a slice of Winnetka Heights that was removed at a time when City of Dallas traffic plans called for moving cars as quickly as possible from the suburbs to Downtown. It was one of several moves that Dallas made to funnel traffic through our neighborhood, which city leaders are now trying to undo.
The Tyler/Polk two-way change is another example.
The stretch of 12th Street between Polk and Hampton, which intersects with the Jefferson/12th Connector, has been the site of harrowing and deadly crashes for many years. And neighbors say traffic accidents and near-misses are common where the connector meets Jefferson.
The Jefferson/12th project was expected to cost more than $1.6 million when it was approved in 2019. That covers the roadway removal but not the park. It is funded from a 2017 bond issue, and it could be completed as soon as summer 2024.
Landscape architect Kevin Sloan designed the park, based on neighborhood feedback, before his death a year ago. Now it is to be named in his honor.
About $7,600 has been raised so far, from friends and family donations alone, to build the park.
