Take a fast-paced ride through the urban heart of North Dallas as we travel 3.5 miles eastbound along Interstate 635 from the Dallas North Tollway to US-75, better known as the Central Expressway. This brief but action-packed stretch of I-635 is not just another segment of loop traffic—it’s a high-tech corridor featuring the TEXpress Lanes, towering stack interchanges, and nonstop views of one of the city’s most dynamic commercial zones.
We begin our journey merging onto I-635 just east of the sprawling cloverleaf interchange with the Dallas North Tollway, deep in the shadow of the Galleria Dallas. The skyline here is shaped more by commerce than by skyscrapers—office towers with mirrored glass, luxury hotels, and a sea of surface lots define the urban fabric. Almost immediately, the TEXpress Lanes peel off to the left, offering a tolled fast track for those willing to pay to bypass the often sluggish main lanes. Elevated flyovers sweep dramatically overhead as we pass under Midway Road and Spring Valley Road, with sound barriers flanking both sides of the freeway in this densely built environment.
East of Preston Road, the corridor narrows slightly, and the rush of traffic grows more intense. On both sides, commercial developments give way to a mix of residential apartments and older retail strips. The corridor feels hemmed in, yet remarkably efficient—a testament to the continuous investment in Dallas’s transportation infrastructure. Overhead signs warn of upcoming lane splits as we approach the major stack interchange with US-75, one of the busiest freeway junctions in North Texas. It’s here that I-635 makes one final dramatic gesture: rising and curving through the multi-level flyover system before depositing us onto the eastbound lanes headed toward Garland, while the US-75 ramps dive south toward downtown Dallas or climb north toward Plano.
In just under four miles, we’ve experienced the full sensory overload of modern freeway travel: concrete ribbons, steel bridges, and a sea of motion framed by urban density. While the route may lack the open-sky beauty of a rural highway, it more than makes up for it with its intensity and importance. Interstate 635 through this section is a living artery—pulsing with the energy of a city constantly in motion. It may be a short drive, but it’s one that captures the rhythm of Dallas: fast, complex, and always aiming forward.
🎵 Music:
Piano March by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/
🗺️ Route Map
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