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.

transportation traffic

Speeding ticket news

Texas drivers pay a pretty price for their speeding bad behavior

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

Gotta watch out for speed traps in Texas.

The next time you’re tempted to push past the speed limit on your Texas road trip or your commute to work, think about the risk to your life — and your bank account.

A new ranking from the FinanceBuzz website shows that when comparing all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Texas motorists pay the fourth highest amount in fines and court costs for going either 10 mph or 15 mph over the speed limit.

For a 10 mph-over-the-limit violation in Texas, the average fine and court costs total $223, according to FinanceBuzz. For a 15 mph infraction, the average speeding ticket will run you $245. Texas is one of only six states where a 15 mph-over-the-limit speeding ticket surpasses $200.

California ranks first in the 10 mph category ($234), and Nevada ranks first in the 15 mph category ($290).

If you’re slapped with a ticket for driving 40 mph over the speed limit in Texas, the fine and court costs are relatively low. At an average of $320, Texas sits at No. 21 on the FinanceBuzz list. Illinois ($2,500) leads the 40 mph category.

“Not all speeding incidents are the same, as the faster someone goes while driving, the more danger they pose to themselves and others sharing the road with them,” says FinanceBuzz. “As a result, the authorities tend to issue larger fines the faster a speeder is going.”

When traveling across Texas, it might be tough to go even one mph over the speed limit if you’re driving on I-35 in the Austin area or I-45 in the Houston area. Both of these notoriously congested stretches of interstate highway are nearing the end of their “functional life,” according to Congress of New Urbanism.

Three busy Dallas County highways were just deemed among the deadliest roads in the country, with I-30 in Dallas ranking as the fourth deadliest road in Texas.

Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio are also home to some of the state’s most congested roads, according to the Texas Transportation Institute. And if you’re on any of those clogged roads, the danger of getting a speeding ticket might decrease.

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