On the heals of an SH-190 (President George Bush Turnpike) Eastern Extension update from the NTTA comes an article in the Saturday Metro Section of the Dallas Morning News giving additional details on progress. This report was written by Richard Abshire, who covered local Garland events and politics for many years. He has the Rowlett/Rockwall beat now.
 

The Dallas Morning News, online:

Bush Turnpike's eastern extension remains on schedule for 2011 completion

10:41 PM CDT on Friday, May 22, 2009
By RICHARD ABSHIRE / The Dallas Morning News
rabshire@dallasnews.com
 
The long-awaited eastern extension of Bush Turnpike, aka State Highway 190, is making good time on its way to Rowlett.
 
"We're on schedule," said Susan Slupecki, spokeswoman for the North Texas Tollway Authority. "The target opening date is the fourth quarter of 2011."
 
Construction began in October on the $1 billion project to connect parts of four cities.
 
It will extend the Bush Turnpike 9.9 miles from State Highway 78 near Firewheel Town Center in Garland through Sachse and Rowlett to link with Interstate 30 near Bass Pro Shops, crossing an arm of Lake Ray Hubbard in the process.

The Bush Turnpike Eastern Extension is planned to open in the fourth quarter of 2011.

 
"It's the best thing happening to Rowlett right now," city spokeswoman Donna Huerta said.
 
She said tollway contractors have kept the city posted on lane closures and helped with a traffic bottleneck near Rowlett High School by replacing a four-way stop with a traffic light and posting no left-turn signs applicable during high-traffic periods.
 
"So far, there have been no big problems," Huerta said.
 
NTTA has divided the project into five sections, numbered 28 through 32 from west to east. Work is under way throughout all five sections.
 
According to a progress report posted on the authority's Web site, the contractor in Section 28 is digging underneath Firewheel Parkway bridge and putting in drainage from there to Rowlett Creek. This section runs from Highway 78 to just west of Miles Road, linking Garland to Sachse.
 
In the more rural Section 29, grading is under way in Rowlett, and temporary two-lane traffic is in place on Miles Road as it crosses the project line just south of Sachse High School and Heritage Park. This section extends to north of Merritt Road.
 
The contractor in Section 30 is building a bridge over Liberty Grove Road and working on water, sewer and storm drain lines. Section 30 is in Rowlett and runs north-south to just beyond Main Street.
 
The contractor in Section 31 – also in Rowlett, from south of Main Street to the north shore of the lake – is wrapping up grade work and starting to install water mains.
 
Section 32, the part of the extension that will feature a bridge across Lake Ray Hubbard, which is owned by the city of Dallas, is being built by the Texas Department of Transportation.
 
Slupecki said that was because of how the cost-sharing agreement was structured, because that portion of the extension will connect the turnpike to the interstate, and because TxDOT has built two bridges over the lake – on State Highway 66 and I-30.
 
Paul Williams, TxDOT project engineer, said workers have installed some drill shafts and columns at the site where the new roadway will meet I-30.
 
"We are about to begin work on the shoreline, within two or three weeks," he said.
 
Within a month or two, crews should be working out on the lake.