AllianceTexas, Fort Worth’s vast 27,000-acre development, has undergone a vast transformation since Ross Perot Jr. began buying property in the area in the 1980s. In November, the city of Fort Worth — along with the Dallas-based developer Hillwood and BNSF — announced the creation of the Alliance Logistics District, a 1,400-acre “mobility logistics hub” that allows the use of autonomous vehicles to transport goods between BNSF’s intermodal facility and Alliance warehouses.
Within that logistics hub, a $20 million three-lane bridge will connect the BNSF intermodal facility and Alliance’s container depot. Semitrucks transporting goods will be able to traverse the bridge, but it will also be open to the autonomous semi trucks that have been operating in the Alliance Logistics District since it was approved by City Council in November. The bridge, which will be built over FM 156, will be blocked off to regular traffic using an automated gate, according to Hillwood. Construction is expected to be completed late this year. Nicholas Konen, vice president of strategic development at Hillwood, said that the bridge is meant to “significantly improve freight flow while reducing truck traffic on public roads.” According to Hillwood, AllianceTexas serves as the primary inland port for the southwestern United States.