Traffic News

TxDOT proposes re-do of major Dallas freeway interchange at I-635 and I-35

I-635 and I-35 are one of the biggest mix masters in Dallas.

TxDOT

The Texas Department of Transportation has a proposal to improve one of the largest mix masters in Dallas and is seeking public comments.

The $380 million proposed plan is for improvements to the I-635 interchange with I-35 in North Dallas including:

widen and upgrade a 3-mile section of I-635 to 10 lanes (5 in each direction)
widen I-35E to 8 to 10 lanes (4 or 5 in each direction)
create "continuous" frontage roads, 4 to 6 lanes wide (2 or 3 in each direction)

These proposed improvements would cover I-635 from Luna Road to Loop 354/Denton Drive, and I-35E and I-35E Express from Royal Lane to Valley View Lane.

I-635 currently has 7 lanes in that area: 4 lanes westbound and 3 eastbound. I-35 currently has 6 to 8 lanes.

Project manager Nelson Underwood says that the goal is to make the interchange more free-flowing, with continuous frontage roads on each side.

The retooling will also remove and relocate two left exits — at westbound I-635 and northbound I-35E — to right exits.

"This would do away with the left exits and move them to their proper location: right-hand entrances and exits," Underwood says. "That interchange was originally built in the '60s. It's old. That's another part of why we’re looking at making improvements."

The project ties in to the current I-35E rebuild, which widens I-35E from 6 to 8 lanes between I-635 and the Denton County line. That work began in spring 2022 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025.

The state held a public meeting on the plan on November 2, which drew 20-30 attendees, and will hold at least two more meetings, with the next one in the spring.

But residents can submit input on the project via a comment portal on the TxDOT website through November 17.

“We’re asking for some early ideas and we want to get some opinions,” says TxDOT spokeswoman Kenna Mitchell. “We want to know of anything that we missed. People are out there driving on this every day. Is there something we should look at in addition to what we are proposing?”

They anticipate that some right-of-way property will need to be acquired, but TxDOT says it will not involve residences.

The project will impact a huge number of drivers: In 2022, I-35E south of I-635 carried 231,599 vehicles a day.

If it goes according to plan, a completed study would be ready by 2026, which would mark the beginning of design.

The long lead time is typical of any large road project. There are currently $3 billion in state road projects taking place in Dallas County. (See the largest projects underway here.)

Comments are encouraged. Email project manager at Nelson.Underwood@txdot.gov, or send regular mail to project manager Nelson Underwood, TxDOT Dallas District Office, 4777 E. US Highway 80, Mesquite, Texas 75150

All comments and mail must be submitted and postmarked by Friday, November 17, 2023, to be included in the public record. Those without internet access can call 214-320-6628 Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm.

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income analysis

This is the family income needed for one parent to stay home in Texas

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

With costs to raise a child soaring over $20,000 a year in Texas, some households might decide to have one parent work while the other stays at home to raise their child.

The cost of raising a child has ballooned in major metros like Dallas-Fort Worth, forcing many families to weight the choice between paying for child care or having one parent stay home full-time.

A recent analysis from SmartAsset determined the minimum income one parent needs to earn to support their partner staying at home to raise one child in all 50 states. In Texas, that amount is just under $75,000.

The study used the MIT Living Wage Calculator to compare the annual living wages needed for a household with two working adults and one child, and a household with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child. The study also calculated how much it would cost to raise a child with two working parents based on factors such as "food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, incremental income taxes and other necessities."

A Texas household with one working parent would need to earn $74,734 a year to support their stay-at-home partner and their child, the report found. If both parents worked in the household, it would require an additional $10,504 in annual income to raise their child.

SmartAsset said the cost to raise a child in Texas in a two-working-parent household adds up to $23,587. Raising a child in North Texas, however, is slightly more affordable. A separate SmartAsset study from June 2025 determined it costs $22,337 to raise a child in Dallas-Fort Worth.

In the report's ranking of states with the highest minimum income needed to support a family with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child, Texas ranked 32nd on the list.

In other states like Massachusetts where raising a child can cost more than $40,000 a year, the report's author says families will look for ways to reduce any financial burdens.

"This often includes considerations around who’s going to work in the household, and whether young children will require paid daycare services while parents are occupied," the report said. "With tradeoffs abound, many parents might seek to understand the minimum income needed to keep the family afloat while allowing the other parent to stay home to raise a young child."

The top 10 states with the lowest minimum income threshold to support a three-person family on one income are:

West Virginia – $68,099
Arkansas – $68,141
Mississippi – $70,242
Kentucky – $70,408
North Dakota – $70,949
Oklahoma – $71,718
Ohio – $72,114
South Dakota – $72,218
Alabama – $72,238
Nebraska – $72,966

texas income smartasset family

Traffic News

TxDOT proposes re-do of major Dallas freeway interchange at I-635 and I-35

income analysis

This is the family income needed for one parent to stay home in Texas

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