Not long after its opening in the late 1960s, the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway corridor (Interstate 635) in Dallas experienced explosive growth and quickly exceeded capacity. As a result, planning for an expanded LBJ began in the late 1980s. More than 200 public meetings and three decades later, the project is under way.
The I-635 Managed Lanes project, also known as the LBJ Express, is a $2.7-billion, 13-mile highway reconstruction that will more than double the capacity of the corridor, which spans two municipalities in Dallas County. All of its general-purpose main lanes, frontage and service roads will be rebuilt, and four to six new toll lanes added in each direction. The three-phase project, which began in late 2010, will be completed on time and on budget, says the project team.