I-35W has become unbearable in southern Denton County. Where is the relief?
The southernmost stretch of I-35W in Denton County has become a hellscape for commuters between Fort Worth and Denton.
Because the seven miles between Texas 114 and Old Justin Road don’t have frontage roads, when a car crash happens, drivers are stuck waiting until the collision gets cleared.
An average of nine accidents per month occurred between January 2024 and June 2026. As North Texas becomes more populated, the crashes are happening more often. In May, there were 12.
the Texas Department of Transportation is the only government agency that can solve the problem. A frontage road widening project is scheduled to begin in September 2028, but another frontage road creation project doesn’t have a start date. The improvements are estimated to cost $481 million.
Northlake Mayor Brian Montini said the projects were supposed to be done years ago, but were delayed when the funding never came through.
For Montini, it feels like he’s lying to Northlake residents every time he relays a new start date from TxDOT.
“I’ve had residents tell me in my face, ‘You’re not doing your job,’” Montini said.
Tila Grant, a spokesperson for TxDOT, said transportation project schedules are subject to change based on “funding availability, project development milestones, environmental review, and coordination with local stakeholders.
“TxDOT’s mission is to provide a safe and reliable transportation system for Texas while improving mobility and reducing congestion across the state. The I-35W corridor is a critical transportation route in North Texas, and planned improvements are intended to help address current and future traffic demands.”
The new strategic plan for Northlake’s future, Montini said, is to act like TxDOT isn’t going to do anything. Because when it comes to delivering on I-35W projects, Montini said “it’s like moving a glacier.”
All Montini can think to do is call on representatives and local plutocrats to push for progress.
“I’ve pulled every lever we can pull,” Montini said. “It’s just always when it comes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. We are squeaking and even screaming, trying to get funding reallocated to this area.”
Denton County Commissioner Dianna Edmondson said 90 people move to the county a day. The small towns in southern Denton County are expecting to see tens of thousands of homes in the near future, but Montini said there’s no infrastructure to support the population growth. About 20,000 homes are planned from FM 1171 in Flower Mound to Denton.
“We have the sewer ready, we have the water ready, we’ve done our part,” Montini said. “We’ve invested $15 million in the sewer lines, and another $20 million in the water infrastructure. We’ve done our part, and their roads aren’t here.”
Edmondson said the biggest gripe she hears about is traffic, and the complaints are becoming more frequent as more people move in. Until TxDOT delivers on its promises, the county can primarily only offer band-aid fixes to ease the congestion on surrounding roads, she said.
TxDOT is planning to widen busy FM 407 from Bill Cook Road west of Justin to FM 1830 near Lantana. Edmondson hopes the improvements will ease congestion where the road crosses Interstate 35W. During rush hour, the backup at the FM 407 exit can reach highway.
“Sometimes there’s just not much you can do except wait and keep a watchful eye,” Edmondson said. “We do check very regularly with the engineers who are designing these various projects for us to see how things are going.”
Chris Jamieson, a council member for far north Fort Worth, said he is focused on building and connecting roadways around the interstate to give commuters an alternative to the freeway. He said it’s one of the most effective strategies for reducing pressure on the highway.
The interchange at I-35W and Texas 114 near the Texas Motor Speedway was identified as a key regional priority in Fort Worth’s master transportation plan. Jamieson said the city will keep working with regional partners and TxDOT to advance the project and find funding for mobility improvements as the population expands.