From Staff Reports
Construction is fully underway on a key connection point for The Loop Dallas — the Trinity Strand Trail Hi-Line Span. What is currently a retaining wall along Houston Street will be turned into an open space that serves as a walk and bike trail, and a gathering place for visitors and those who live and work in the area.
The project includes construction of a new pedestrian bridge at the end of Hi Line Drive in the Design District, creating a critical link between the Katy Trail, the Circuit Trail, and the Trinity Strand Trail.
Plans call for a lookout plaza with a shade structure, lighting, landscaping, and a public art sculpture that will serve as both a gathering space and a visual anchor at the western edge of the Design District.
If you’re not part of the hike/bike crowd, The Loop Dallas is a 50-mile bike and pedestrian trail system that weaves together 39 miles of existing trails with 11 miles of newly constructed segments. The goal: a fully connected system that offers seamless access between key neighborhoods, employment centers, and recreational destinations.
- The Trinity Forest Spine Trail north phase opened in 2023.
- The Hi Line Connector opened in 2024.
- Discovery Gateway is scheduled to open by 2027.
- The Trinity Forest Spine Trail south phase is slated to open by 2027.
One of the most transformative elements of The Loop is The Loop Plaza, which will connect Victory Park, the Design District, and the Katy Trail to West Dallas through an innovative underpass beneath Interstate 35. The enhanced connectivity will make it easier — and safer — to walk or bike between destinations that were once divided by infrastructure.
For nearby residents, the Hi-Line Span and Loop Plaza are about more than trail mileage and open space. They’re increasingly seen as critical infrastructure that enhances livability and, by extension, real estate value.
The Katy Trail is set to attract 3 million users this year, and the new connection will offer direct access to shops, restaurants, businesses, and residences in one of Dallas’ most dynamic areas, The Loop Dallas Executive Director Philip Hiatt Haigh told CandysDirt.com earlier this year.
“We realized we needed a way to come from the Katy Trail, which is up 12 feet above Houston Street, down to grade very quickly,” Hiatt Haigh said. “We had a design competition a few years ago and asked some of our local design firms how they would accomplish this unique challenge. There’s only 40 feet of available right-of-way which is what makes it so complicated.”
The Hi-Line Span is funded through the Design District TIF District and is a collaboration between the City of Dallas, the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, and the Office of Economic Development. The Loop Dallas is a development partner for the Park and Recreation Department.
In this video, the Dallas Park and Recreation Department spotlights The Loop Dallas as a “Partner for Better Parks.” Leadership at The Loop Dallas helped secure public/private partnerships to help connect the previous hurdles the City of Dallas has faced in connecting trails in the north, south, east, and west parts of the city.
