<\/p>\n
I-635, I-35E and the Dallas North Tollway rank among North Texas’ busiest commuter routes. Here\u2019s what to know.<\/p>\n
Smiley N. Pool\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Dallas-Fort Worth\u2019s exponential growth<\/a> over the past two decades has transformed the region\u2019s morning commute. Suburban communities such as Frisco and Plano are now more readily connected to major highways, and most North Texans don\u2019t question if they will hit morning traffic, but where and when.\u00a0<\/p>\n While congestion can happen on almost every road, a handful of the Dallas-Fort Worth area\u2019s transportation corridors have become backup hot spots for early morning commuters. Combined with busy interchanges and high traffic volumes, these corridors carry locals from growing suburbs to major job hubs.<\/p>\n These are the highways commuters are most likely to experience heavy morning traffic.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Interstate 635<\/p>\n Stretching across North Dallas, Interstate 635, or Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway, serves as the region\u2019s primary east-west corridor. The interstate links almost every north-south highway in the area such as Interstate 35E, U.S. Highway 75, Dallas North Tollway and State Highway 114.<\/p>\n Unlike other commuter routes in the region that primarily funnel traffic through downtown Dallas, I-635 carries a mix of commuters, commercial trucks and airport travelers. The combination of motorists often means congestion isn\u2019t restricted to just rush hour.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Texas Department of Transportation estimates I-635 carries 230,000 vehicles per day. Almost $2 billion has been invested to improve congestion on the interstate. After more than six years of construction<\/a>, which also affects congestion, I-635 is expected to be completed by the end of the summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAccording to traffic counts collected by TxDOT, the roads with highest volumes of traffic are I-35E and I-635 in Dallas,\u201d said Francisco Torres, principal transportation system modeler at the North Central Texas Council of Governments.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong> Interstate 635 construction in Dallas is almost done. What to know<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n Interstate 35E<\/p>\n One of the busiest north-south transportation corridors, Interstate 35E connects motorists from Denton County to downtown Dallas. The interstate serves cities with increasing populations along its route such as Denton, Lewisville, Carrollton and Farmer\u2019s Branch.\u00a0<\/p>\n It also provides access to Dallas Love Field Airport, the Design District and Medical District.\u00a0<\/p>\n I-35E is one of the state\u2019s major commercial trucking routes, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation<\/a>. With both commuters and freight vehicles traveling simultaneously, recurring bottlenecks happen around certain entry and exit ramps.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The combination of motorists merging onto the interstate from I-635, State Highway 183 and Loop 12 makes stop-and-go traffic a frequent occurrence, according to TxDOT.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dallas North Tollway<\/p>\n As the residential and commercial developments in Frisco, Plano and surrounding cities have increased<\/a>, the Dallas North Tollway has become one of the busiest toll corridors in the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n The tollway connects suburban communities and employment centers such as The Star<\/a> in Frisco, Toyota\u2019s North American Headquarters and Legacy West. Uptown Dallas is also directly connected to the tollway.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOver the last 12 years or so, we have seen a steady increase of traffic driving northbound from Dallas to Addison and Collin County,\u201d said Michael Rey, media relations manager for the North Texas Toll Authority. \u201cPost-pandemic, we saw \u2018rush-hour\u2019 extended patterns later into the day.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Interchanges with State Highway 121, President George Bush Turnpike and I-635 are particularly busy on the tollway. Peak periods during morning and afternoon rush hours have become more common, but Rey said NTTA is making efforts to reduce congestion.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n