On Sept. 14, Garland hosted a ribbon‑cutting ceremony beneath the newly rebuilt section of the LBJ Freeway on Shiloh Road to commemorate the completion of the Texas Department of Transportation’s six‑year, $1.7 billion 635 East project. According to the City of Garland’s official alert, the event featured Mayor Dylan Hedrick, State Representative Rhetta Bowers, Texas Transportation Commissioner Robert Vaughn, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, Mesquite Mayor Daniel Aleman Jr., and Dallas City Council Member Kathy Stewart.
Mayor Hedrick told attendees that the 11‑mile stretch of the LBJ Freeway between Central Expressway and Interstate 30 is “one of the major gateways to our city,” linking residents to jobs throughout North Texas and providing businesses with improved access to customers, employees, and new commercial‑ and redevelopment opportunities. The corridor, which carries about 230,000 motorists daily, had long been listed among the state’s most congested thoroughfares.
The reconstruction widened the freeway and introduced Garland’s first continuous frontage roads along the northeastern curve of Interstate 635. It also includes a 12‑foot sound wall built between LaPrada Drive and Centerville Road; ground was broken on that wall in June 2015. Long‑time New World neighborhood resident Frances Hiner, who has lived there since 1967, recalled fighting for the sound wall and thanked the officials who supported the effort.
The project’s history stretches back to 2014, when U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx visited the site to advocate for new transportation funding. Subsequent phases of the broader LBJ Freeway improvement included the TEXpress managed lanes completed in 2015 and the 635 East segment, which was ultimately funded through the Texas Clear Lanes initiative— a non‑tolled program aimed at reducing congestion in major metropolitan areas. Former City Council Member John Willis, who chaired the Transportation Committee and represented Garland on regional mobility groups, was recognized in 2018 for his role in securing funding for the project.
Garland officials say the new infrastructure will help ease travel times and support future economic growth. For more details, residents can visit the Texas Department of Transportation website or view the ceremony’s video recap on the City of Garland’s YouTube channel. The city will continue monitoring traffic patterns and will schedule routine maintenance as needed to keep the corridor operating smoothly.
Sources: garlandtx.gov
