Richardson updates Silver Line bridge arches, Cotton Belt Trail timeline

Richardson is nearing a visible payoff from years of Silver Line and Cotton Belt Trail construction: two steel arches will begin going up over US 75 next month, and most of the city’s 2.8-mile trail segment is now aimed for completion in early 2027.

City Council received the latest update on the project this week, and the biggest immediate milestone is the bridge over US 75. Dallas Area Rapid Transit plans two arches, one on the south side and one on the north side, each about 400 feet long and rising roughly 80 feet above the roadway at its highest point. White and blue accent lighting is planned to turn the span into a gateway feature for both rail riders and drivers on one of North Texas’ busiest highways.

For Richardson, the bridge is not just a design element. It is the most visible sign that the Silver Line corridor is moving from a construction site into an operating system that residents can actually use and see. The Silver Line opened to passenger service on October 25, 2025, and the US 75 arches are meant to give the line a stronger identity as it crosses a major traffic corridor in the city.

The trail side of the project carries its own deadline. The Cotton Belt Trail runs 2.8 miles in Richardson and includes three bridges. City officials said work is underway and is expected to be complete in early 2027, except for the pedestrian bridge over Custer Road. That leaves residents with a clearer sense of when most of the trail network will be in place, but also a reminder that one key crossing will remain unfinished after the rest of the corridor opens.

The larger regional frame matters too. DART describes the Silver Line as a 26-mile rail service linking Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson and Plano across Collin, Dallas and Tarrant counties. The Cotton Belt Regional Trail is planned as a 26.2-mile corridor alongside the line, stretching from Plano to Fort Worth. Richardson’s active transportation materials say Phase 2 of the trail began in spring 2025 and adds more than 11 miles of trail and bridge segments from Addison to Plano.

Lane-closure details have not been released yet, but the city said they will be announced before work begins through Week in Review, the city website and social media. For Richardson commuters, trail users and nearby neighborhoods, the next question is no longer whether the project is real. It is how soon the new bridge, trail and rail corridor will start changing daily travel through the city.