I-635 airport extension to the SH 161 freeway near Belt Line Road. It opened in December 2001. Unstable clay soil was a significant problem in this segment, requiring contractors to use concentrated liquid stabilizers and geosynthetic reinforcement. A part of President George Bush Turnpike was extended from SH 183 to Conflans Road in 2006. Segment VI ("Western Extension", Irving/Grand Prairie). A extension south from SH-183 in Irving to I-30 in Grand Prairie. A portion of the Western Extension, from SH-183 to I-30 in Grand Prairie, opened in August 2009. The remaining of the Western Extension, from I-30 to I-20 in Grand Prairie, opened in October 2012. Segment VII ("Eastern Extension", Garland/Sachse/Rowlett). A extension from SH-78 in Garland, through Rowlett and Sachse, and back into Garland at I-30. The project, with a price tag of $1.04 billion, included construction of a 1-mile bridge at Lake Ray Hubbard. Construction began in October 2008, and the Eastern Extension opened to traffic on December 21, 2011. Segment VIII ("East Branch", Garland/Mesquite). A proposed extension from I-30 in Garland to I-20 in Mesquite, with an estimated cost of $730 million. In December 2015 an Environmental Impact Statement for the East Branch had been prepared but the review process was restarted in 2017. Construction is not expected until 2026. Expansion plans The next PGBT segment, the East Branch extension, is planned to begin at the PGBT Lake Ray Hubbard Interchange at I-30, extending south-southeast to near Duck Creek Way, then southward near Mesquite Metro Airport, terminating at I-20 near Rory Galloway Day Camp. The project is well into the planning stages, and an Environmental Impact Statement was under preparation . In May 2017 at a Dallas city council meeting it was stated TxDOT had restarted the environmental impact statement review process. Construction is not expected until 2026. In the longer term, the North Central Texas Council of Governments is studying a very broad outer loop around the entire Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Assuming it receives environmental clearance, funding, and political support, much of it would be completed in the 2020s or 2030s. The PGBT is not part of this outer loop, but the PGBT East Branch alignment was closely coordinated with the loop's master plan. The segment of the proposed outer loop through southern Dallas County would be known as Loop 9 and would likely be the first segment to be built. Exit list References External links