Thanks to a $1.7 million mill and overlay project on an aging section of Randol Mill Road, the drive to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is now a lot smoother.

Red street rehab

According to Sidney Kelly, assistant director of operations and information systems for the Arlington Department of Public Works, a project was initiated in the summer of 2023 with the goal of improving roadway conditions to an acceptable standard prior to the international men’s soccer competition FIFA World Cup. The U.S. FIFA World Cup tournaments will take place in Arlington and 15 other U.S. cities, as well as Canada and Mexico, in 2026.

While the public works department has worked tirelessly to shore up a stretch of Randol Mill Road for years, data from the annual pavement survey concluded that the area between Cooper and Collins streets had an overall condition index rating ranging from 26-50 on a scale from 1-100.

Roads in Arlington with an OCI rating lower than 50 are considered “red streets” and recommended for inclusion in the department’s Capital Improvement Program.

Teague Nall and Perkins, Inc. a Fort Worth-based firm, was contracted to design the improvements to that part of Randol Mill Road. The project, it was decided, would be funded through the city’s street maintenance sales tax. A public meeting was held in February to hear citizens’ concerns and to answer any questions before work commenced in March.

“The project milled the existing aging asphalt surface and resurfaced Randol Mill with new 2-inch asphalt,” Kelly said. “This project also improved sidewalks and ADA ramps as necessary within the project limits.”  The work took 90 calendar days to complete.

A first step

The Mill and Overlay Project is the first step in the Randol Mill Rebuild Project, which was endorsed by voters during the 2023 bond election. Kelly said it was chosen in response to the 2021 Tarrant County Bond Election, which approved funding for 50 percent of the city’s project cost – up to $17,019,500 – to rebuild and widen Randol Mill Road. Additional funding is being provided by City Bond Funds and Redevelopment Tax Credit Local Funds.

At the present time, the road is a four-lane, undivided highway; however, it will be upgraded to include a six-lane divided roadway with medians and turn lanes.

“The new road will match the current Entertainment District standard section that exists from Collins Street east to SR 360,” Kelly noted.

The project is set to include additional landscaping and new streetlights, signals, sidewalks, curb ramps, water lines, sanitary sewer lines and storm drains. It will also address significant flooding issues at the Randol Mill Road and Collins Street intersection.

While the design portion of the project is underway, construction is not set to begin until late next year. “When we are done this will be a brand-new road,” he said.

The completion date is yet to be determined because planners have just begun the transition to federal design standards. Once the design is between 60-90 percent complete, they will begin right-of-way acquisitions and follow that up with franchise utility relocations. When those are complete, construction will begin.

“We expect the construction process to start immediately following the World Cup activities, with shovels in the ground by winter 2026 or early 2027,” he said.

Arlington welcomes the world

Located in Tarrant County and just west of Dallas, the city of Arlington is the second largest city in the county in Texas after Fort Worth and is no stranger to drawing a crowd. In addition to having the University of Texas at Arlington – a major urban research facility – and a General Motors assembly plant, the community’s AT&T Stadium is home to the Dallas Cowboys, which hosts over 93,000 fans per game.

In 2026, Arlington’s more than 394,000 residents will welcome the world when the stadium plays hosts to nine matches of the international men’s soccer tournament FIFA World Cup — including the semi-final on July 14. In addition to undergoing $295 million in upgrades and renovations in the off-season leading up to the tournament, the venue will be temporarily renamed “Dallas Stadium” in order to comply with FIFA’s prohibition on corporate sponsorships. 

“The FIFA World Cup 26 is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, and I can’t imagine a better stage than the Cowboys’ world-class stadium. Arlington and the Dallas-Fort Worth region stand ready to give a Texas-sized welcome to soccer fans from around the globe,” said Arlington Mayor Jim Ross.

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