▁was ▁a ▁ ▁to ll ▁highway ▁in ▁the ▁Dallas – F ort ▁W orth ▁Metro plex . ▁It ▁operated ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁after ward ▁becoming ▁a ▁n ond es cript ▁part ▁of ▁I - 3 0 . ▁The ▁road , ▁three ▁lan es ▁in ▁each ▁direction ▁but ▁later ▁w iden ed , ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁direct ▁connection ▁between ▁dow nt own ▁Fort ▁W orth ▁and ▁dow nt own ▁Dallas , ▁Texas . ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁the ▁former ▁turn pi ke ▁was ▁named ▁the ▁Tom ▁Land ry ▁Highway , ▁after ▁the ▁late ▁Dallas ▁Cow bo ys ▁coach ▁Tom ▁Land ry . ▁ ▁The ▁proposed ▁express way ▁was ▁studied ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁but ▁was ▁turned ▁down ▁by ▁the ▁state ▁engineer ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁exp ense . ▁However , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁the ▁state ▁legisl ature ▁created ▁the ▁Texas ▁Turn pi ke ▁Author ity , ▁which ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁raised ▁$ 5 8 . 5 ▁million ▁( equ ivalent ▁to ▁$ ▁in ▁) ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁project . ▁Const ruction ▁started ▁later ▁that ▁year . ▁On ▁August ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁the ▁highway ▁was ▁open ▁to ▁traffic , ▁but ▁the ▁official ▁opening ▁came ▁a ▁week ▁later ▁on ▁September ▁ 5 . ▁The ▁turn pi ke ' s ▁presence ▁stim ulated ▁growth ▁in ▁Ar ling ton ▁and ▁Grand ▁Pra irie ▁and ▁facil itated