Interstate 35E, an Interstate Highway, is the eastern half of I-35 where it splits to serve the Dallas/Fort Worthmetropolitan area. I-35 splits into two branch routes, I-35W and I-35E at Hillsboro. I-35E travels north for, maintaining I-35's sequence of exit numbers. It travels through Dallas before rejoining with I-35W to reform I-35 in Denton. This is one of two pairs of suffixed Interstates that has not been eliminated; I-35 also splits into I-35E and I-35W in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota. Historically, other interstates were given directional suffixes. On every other interstate, the directional suffixes were phased out by giving the route a loop or spur designation, or in some cases were assigned a different route number. In the case of I-35, since both branches return to a unified interstate beyond the twin cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, the AASHTO committees allowed the suffixes to remain. The I-35E Highway it the only Interstate Highway in Waxahachie Texas.
From Waco, Texas to El Dorado, Kansas, I-35 typically runs concurrent with, or lies fairly close to, US 77. This highway travels parallel to I-35E after splitting off of I-35 north of Hillsboro, running through Italy and Milford. It joins with I-35E for less than just south of Waxahachie, before splitting back off to run through Waxahachie. It rejoins the interstate just north of a junction with State Highway 342 in Red Oak. US 77 stays with the interstate through Dallas and up to the southeastern section of Denton. It then breaks off, rejoining I-35 north of the city. Except for the spur sections and the portion from I-635 to the split in Denton, US 77 is unsigned.
From the Dallas–Ellis County line to downtown Dallas, I-35E is called South R.L. Thornton Freeway and varies from eight to ten lanes plus HOV. The section from I-20 to Downtown Dallas will be undergoing a major reconstruction by 2015 to 12 lanes. Reconstruction of I-35E and the downtown Mixmaster interchange with I-30 is planned as part of the Horseshoe project, derived from the larger Pegasus Project. From this point, I-35E is named the Stemmons Freeway to Lewisville. This section will undergo reconstruction in three phases. The first, a widening of I-35E from I-635 to Denton, will start in late 2011 to over 16 lanes. The second, the LBJ Project, will include elevated toll I-35E lanes by 2016. Last is the major reconstruction of Stemmons Freeway from downtown Dallas to I-635 to over 20 lanes by 2020.
History
Interstate 35E replaced most of US 77 between Hillsboro and Denton. US 77 is unsigned along the route, with the exception of the highway that runs through Waxahachie–Red Oak and Denton. I-35E was completed in the early 1960s. When first designated, I-35W & I-35E were the only "suffixed" highways in Texas. Subsequently, I-69W, I-69E, and I-69C have been designated.
Exit list
Auxiliary routes
Interstate 635, while technically a loop of I-35, only intersects I-35E and neither I-35 nor I-35W.
