Interstate 345

I-345 serves as the connection between I-45 and the North Central Expressway (US 75). It starts at the intersection of I-45 and I-30, passes by Downtown Dallas, and connects to US 75 at the Spur 366 junction. The entire stretch of I-345 is elevated allowing for better connections between Downtown Dallas and Deep Ellum.

Although I-345 uses its own mileposts, the exit numbering is not consistent. The exit numbers on the northbound stretch count upward from the I-45 numbers (the exit for Spur 366 being labeled as exit 286A), while, on the southbound stretch, the Spur 366 exit is numbered exit 1A, followed by the exit for Ross Avenue numbered exit 285.[3]

1955 "Yellow Book" plan for Interstates in Dallas

In 1964, I-345, extending I-45 north along the proposed Central Expressway bypass, was added as a proposed state highway.[1] I-345 was built and opened in the 1970s. At the north end, before it merged into the Central Expressway (which continued to carry US 75), I-345 straddled the bridges over Bryan Street and Ross Avenue, the latter the location of the opening ceremonies in 1949.[4] Because of their location, these two bridges were not replaced in the 1990s reconstruction of the North Central Expressway and are the only surviving grade separations from the initial construction north from downtown.[5]

There has recently been a growing level of local news coverage of a proposal to completely remove I-345 and decommission it from the Interstate Highway System due to the fact that the Interstate separates the Downtown Dallas and Deep Ellum neighborhoods.[6]

The proposal would demolish the elevated structure, but, instead of replacing it with a below-grade structure (similar to that of Woodall Rogers), it would be replaced with an at-grade parkway and reconnected streets (some of which are disconnected by the current structure).

Media outlets, including The Dallas Morning News,[7][8][9] the Dallas Observer,[10][11] and D Magazine,[12] first discussed the proposal in 2012 and 2013.

In February 2014, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) announced plans to spend $100 million (equivalent to $114 million in 2021[13]) to repair the existing I-345 structure,[14] but Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings responded by saying that the decommissioning/removal alternative should be further considered before any repair.[15] After further investigation, Rawlings concluded that repairs should proceed in advance of a study and decision on the fate of the road.[16]

In April 2014, Michael Morris, the transportation director of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, created controversy by suggesting that proponents of the decommissioning/removal are predominantly white, wealthy, and do not live in the area near I-345, as opposed to predominantly Black-American, working class, South Dallas residents that could be affected by the decommissioning/removal.[17] Morris later apologized for his comments.[18]

With its May 2014 issue, D Magazine became the first major local news publication to endorse the decommissioning/removal proposal.[19]

In September 2016, TxDOT published the CityMAP Assessment Report, which included an analysis of the effects of highway removal on the I-345 corridor.[20]

In April 2021, the Toole Design Group created a draft report to further study the impacts of the changes in mobility from the highway removal; the draft report was presented to Dallas city council.[21]

The entire highway is in Dallas, Dallas County.

mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
0.00	0.00		I-45 south – Houston	Southern terminus of I-345 and northern terminus of I-45; continuation beyond I-30
		284A	I-30 (US 67)	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; I-30 exits 46-47B
0.47	0.76	284B	Main Street west / Elm Street	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
0.81	1.30		Live Oak Street	Southbound exit only
0.96– 1.23	1.54– 1.98	285	Bryan Street east	Northbound exit only
		284C	South Central Expressway to Good-Latimer Expressway – Downtown	Northern terminus of South Central Expwy. and southern terminus of North Central Expwy.; south end of overlap with North Central Expwy. southbound exit and northbound entrance
		285	Ross Avenue	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
1.42	2.29	286A	To I-35E (US 77) – Waco, Denton	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; access via unsigned Spur 366 (Woodall Rodgers Freeway); US 75 exit 1A southbound
			US 75 north – McKinney	Northern terminus of I-345 and southern terminus of US 75; North Central Expwy. continues north as US 75
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access       Route transition

•  Texas portal
•  U.S. Roads portal

• Texas Department of Transportation (Official website)