Dallas drivers should prepare for traffic disruptions as over $830 million in highway construction projects begin across the city in 2026.
Nine major freeway projects will transform key corridors, with the largest being a $730.5 million widening of Interstate 30 between Interstate 35E and Interstate 45.
These projects represent critical infrastructure investments for one of the nation’s most congested metropolitan areas. The Texas Department of Transportation has prioritized addressing bottlenecks on what officials call “the 4th most congested roadway in the state.”
The I-30 Canyon project through downtown Dallas headlines the construction slate. This massive undertaking will “reconstruct the underutilized collector-distributor roads and widen the main lanes of I-30 between I-35E and I-45 to address the bottleneck,” according to TxDOT’s 2026 Unified Transportation Program.
Beyond the I-30 megaproject, drivers will encounter rehabilitation work on U.S. 175 from Bexar Street to Belt Line Road, costing $28.7 million. Interstate 35 between W. Northwest Highway and I-635 will undergo $20 million in roadway rehabilitation.
Interstate Highway 345 will see $20.5 million in bridge widening and maintenance work from the I-30 interchange to Spur 366. Safety improvements, including roadway illumination and wrong-way driver systems, will cost $10 million on I-35 between Commerce Street and I-635.
Two separate bridge restoration projects on I-45 from I-30 to Pennsylvania Avenue will cost $5.9 million and $8.3 million, respectively. Smaller projects include $4.9 million for culvert and storm drainage work on I-35 between Hi-Line Drive and Regal Row.
State Highway 78 from Stratford Drive to Avenue F will receive $2.8 million in rehabilitation work. The final project involves $2.5 million for traffic management systems and wrong-way driver prevention on I-30 from State Highway 161 to Sylvan Avenue.
Construction timelines remain fluid, but commuters should prepare for significant delays throughout 2026.