View source for Interstate 345

{{short description|Unsigned highway in Texas}}
{{distinguish|Texas State Highway 345}}
{{about|the section of Central Expressway in Dallas, Texas|the entire route|Central Expressway (Dallas)}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Infobox road
|state=TX
|type=I
|route=345
|map={{Maplink-road}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=Central Dallas with I-345 highlighted in red
|length_mi=1.4
|length_round=
|length_ref=<ref name=HDF>{{TxDOT|IH|345|accessdate=October 6, 2012}}</ref>
|established={{start date|1973|08|23}}
|spur_type=I
|spur_of=45
|direction_a=South
|terminus_a={{Jct|state=TX|I|30|US|67|I|45}} in [[Dallas]]
|direction_b=North
|terminus_b={{Jct|state=TX|US|75|Spur|366}} in Dallas
|counties=[[Dallas County, Texas|Dallas]]
|previous_type=TX
|previous_route=344
|next_type=TX
|next_route=345
}}
'''Interstate&nbsp;345''' ('''I-345'''{{efn|Some sources use "IH-345", as "IH" is an abbreviation used by the Texas Department of Transportation for Interstate Highways.<ref>{{cite web |author = Transportation Planning and Programming Division |date = n.d. |url = https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/division/transportation-planning/highway-designation/glossary.html |title = Highway Designations Glossary |publisher = Texas Department of Transportation |access-date = May 20, 2020 }}</ref>}}) is an unsigned {{convert|1.4|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} [[Auxiliary Interstate Highway]] in the city of [[Dallas]] within the US state of [[Texas]]. It is a [[freeway]] that connects [[Interstate 45|I-45]] (which ends at the [[Interchange (road)|interchange]] with [[Interstate 30 in Texas|I-30]]) with [[U.S. Route 75 in Texas|U.S. Highway&nbsp;75]] (US&nbsp;75; [[Central Expressway (Dallas)#North Central Expressway|North Central Expressway]]) at [[Texas State Highway Spur 366|State Highway Spur&nbsp;366]] (Spur&nbsp;366; Woodall Rodgers Freeway). Few maps actually display the road as I-345; signposts on the road show US&nbsp;75 northbound, while southbound the highway is signed as I-45. In recent years, a debate over whether to maintain or [[Decommissioned highway|decommission]] I-345 has received increased attention from several Dallas media outlets. TxDOT elected to maintain the freeway by lowering it below ground and removing frontage roads.

==Route description==
I-345 serves as the connection between I-45 and the North Central Expressway (US&nbsp;75). It starts at the junction of I-45 and I-30, passes by Downtown Dallas, and connects to US&nbsp;75 at the Spur&nbsp;366 junction. The entire stretch of I-345 is elevated allowing for better connections between [[Downtown Dallas]] and [[Deep Ellum, Dallas|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&nbsp;366 being labeled as exit&nbsp;286A), while, on the southbound stretch, the Spur&nbsp;366 exit is numbered exit&nbsp;1A, followed by the exit for Ross Avenue numbered exit&nbsp;285.<ref name="aards">{{cite news |publisher=AA Roads Interstate Guide |title=Interstate 345 Texas |url=http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-345_tx.html |date=January 13, 2007}}{{self-published source|date= April 2014}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Dallas, Texas 1955 Yellow Book.jpg|thumb|left|1955 "[[General Location of National System of Interstate Highways|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.<ref name=HDF/> 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&nbsp;75), I-345 straddled the bridges over Bryan Street and Ross Avenue, the latter the location of the opening ceremonies in 1949.<ref>{{cite news |work= [[The Dallas Morning News]] |title= North Central Turns 35 Today |date= August 19, 1984}}</ref> 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.<ref name=NBI>{{cite web |publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]] |work=[[National Bridge Inventory]] |title=Structure Type by Year Built |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/nbi.cfm |date=2006}}</ref>

==Future==
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, Dallas|Deep Ellum]] neighborhoods.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2014/may/why-we-must-tear-down-interstate-345/|title=Why We Must Tear Down I-345|website=D Magazine|date=April 22, 2014 |language=en|access-date=2018-03-12}}</ref>

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]]'',<ref name="dmn120503">{{cite news |first=Michael |newspaper=The Dallas Morning News |title=A toll road foe's challenge to Mayor Rawlings: Build your road, but tear down I-345, too |url=http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2012/05/a-toll-road-foes-challenge-to.html/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424093717/http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2012/05/a-toll-road-foes-challenge-to.html/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 24, 2014 |last=Lindenberger |date=May 3, 2012 }}</ref><ref name="dmn121212">{{cite news |last=Wilonsky |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Wilonsky |newspaper=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |title=At TxDOT hearing, leaving comments and making the case for tearing down highway separating Deep Ellum, downtown |url=http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2012/12/at-txdot-hearing-leaving-comments-and-making-the-case-for-tearing-down-highway-separating-deep-ellum-downtown.html/ |date=December 12, 2012 |access-date=December 12, 2012 |archive-date=December 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121215031648/http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2012/12/at-txdot-hearing-leaving-comments-and-making-the-case-for-tearing-down-highway-separating-deep-ellum-downtown.html/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="dmn052713">{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Wilonsky |newspaper=The Dallas Morning News |title=Update: As debate revs up, a site launches to make the case for tearing down freeway separating downtown, Deep Ellum |url=http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2013/05/tearing-down-freeway-separating-downtown-deep-ellum-makes-a-lot-of-sense-says-downtown-dallas-ceo-but.html/ |date=May 27, 2013 |access-date=May 28, 2013 |archive-date=June 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607031919/http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2013/05/tearing-down-freeway-separating-downtown-deep-ellum-makes-a-lot-of-sense-says-downtown-dallas-ceo-but.html/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> the ''[[Dallas Observer]]'',<ref name="do121127">{{cite news |first=Eric |last=Nicholson |newspaper=[[Dallas Observer]] |url=http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2012/11/txdot_considering_what_to_do_w.php/ |title=TxDOT Wondering What to Do With Bridge Between I-30 and Woodall Rodgers. (Hint: They're Not Going to Tear It Down) |date=November 27, 2012}}</ref><ref name="do130528">{{cite news |first=Eric |last=Nicholson |newspaper= Dallas Observer |title=The Push to Tear Down I-345 Gains Steam |url=http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2013/05/tear_down_ih-345.php |date=May 28, 2013 |access-date=May 28, 2013}}</ref> and ''[[D Magazine]],''<ref name="dmag130121">{{cite news |last=Kennedy |first=Patrick |work=[[D Magazine]] |title=How Dallas is Throwing Away $4 Billion |url=http://www.dmagazine.com/Home/D_Magazine/2013/February/How_Dallas_is_Throwing_Away_4_Billion_Dollar_Investment.aspx |date=January 21, 2013}}</ref> first discussed the proposal in 2012 and 2013.
  
In February&nbsp;2014, the [[Texas Department of Transportation]] (TxDOT) announced plans to spend $100&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|100000000|2014}}}} in {{inflation/year|US-GDP}}{{inflation/fn|US-GDP}}) to repair the existing I-345 structure,<ref name="dmn021014">{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Wilonsky |newspaper=The Dallas Morning News |title=Memo: With Interstate 345 staying (until at least 2040), Dallas is ready to design downtown's Carpenter Park |url=http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/memo-with-ih345-staying-till-at-least-2040-dallas-is-ready-to-design-downtowns-carpenter-park.html |date=February 10, 2014 |access-date=February 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626004335/http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/memo-with-ih345-staying-till-at-least-2040-dallas-is-ready-to-design-downtowns-carpenter-park.html/ |archive-date=June 26, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> but Dallas mayor [[Mike Rawlings]] responded by saying that the decommissioning/removal alternative should be further considered before any repair.<ref name="dmn021214">{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Wilonsky |newspaper=The Dallas Morning News |title=TxDOT has decided to keep the highway separating Deep Ellum and downtown, but Mayor Rawlings hasn't |url=http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/txdot-has-decided-to-keep-the-highway-separating-deep-ellum-and-downtown-but-mayor-rawlings-hasnt.html |date=February 12, 2014 |access-date=February 21, 2014 |archive-date=February 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221051001/http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/txdot-has-decided-to-keep-the-highway-separating-deep-ellum-and-downtown-but-mayor-rawlings-hasnt.html/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> After further investigation, Rawlings concluded that repairs should proceed in advance of a study and decision on the fate of the road.<ref name ="dmn040214">{{cite news |first=Rodger |last=Jones |newspaper=The Dallas Morning News |title=Complete statement from Mayor Rawlings on tearing down I-345 |url=http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/complete-statement-from-mayor-rawlings-on-tearing-down-i-345.html/ |date=April 2, 2014 |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-date=April 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415044211/http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/complete-statement-from-mayor-rawlings-on-tearing-down-i-345.html/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In April&nbsp;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.<ref name ="dmn040314">{{cite news|first=Brandon |last=Formby|newspaper= The Dallas Morning News |title=Transportation official: I-345 debate pushed by the wealthy, misses voices of the poor |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/20140403-transportation-official-i-345-debate-missing-voices-of-people-who-use-it.ece |date=April 3, 2014 |access-date=April 24, 2014}}</ref> Morris later apologized for his comments.<ref name ="dmn040914">{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Wilonsky |newspaper=The Dallas Morning News |title=NCTCOG transpo director Michael Morris apologizes for dismissing I-345 teardown proponents as 'white,' 'wealthy' |url=http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/nctcog-transpo-director-michael-morris-apologizes-for-dismissing-i-345-teardown-proponents-as-white-wealthy.html/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140424181711/http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/nctcog-transpo-director-michael-morris-apologizes-for-dismissing-i-345-teardown-proponents-as-white-wealthy.html/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 24, 2014 |date=April 9, 2014 |access-date=April 24, 2014 }}</ref>

With its May 2014 issue, ''D Magazine'' became the first major local news publication to endorse the decommissioning/removal proposal.<ref name ="dmag0514">{{cite news|first=Wick |last=Allison|newspaper=[[D Magazine]] |title=How to Build Another Uptown |url=http://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2014/may/the-next-uptown-dallas |date=May 2014 |access-date=April 23, 2014}}</ref>

In September&nbsp;2016, TxDOT published the CityMAP Assessment Report, which included an analysis of the effects of highway removal on the I-345 corridor.<ref>{{Cite web|title=DALLASCITYMAP.COM|url=http://dallascitymap.com/results.html#home|access-date=2021-05-27|website=dallascitymap.com}}</ref>

In April&nbsp;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.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-15|title=A New Plan for Tearing Down I-345|url=http://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2021/04/a-new-plan-for-tearing-down-i-345/|access-date=2021-05-27|website=D Magazine|language=en}}</ref>

In August 2022, TxDOT released the findings a feasibility study that was started in April 2018 that analyzed the future of I-345. The study analyzed five alternatives on what to do with the right-of-way of the interstate. The study concluded that depressing the freeway below grade and removing frontage roads would best fall in line with the CityMAP report. The alternative was also chosen due to the potential capping areas that were identified as being ways to link communities that were separated by I-345's construction. In May 2023, the Dallas City Council unanimously approved TxDOT's "refined hybrid" option that would rebuild I-345 as a depressed freeway traveling below street level with no frontage roads.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[KERA (FM)|KERA]] |last=Collins |first=Nathan |url=https://www.keranews.org/news/2023-05-25/its-never-going-to-stop-being-a-highway-dallas-city-council-approves-contentious-ih-345-plan |title=‘It’s never going to stop being a highway’: Dallas City Council approves thorny I-345 plan |date=May 25, 2023 |access-date=May 1, 2025}}</ref> The project entered its schematic and environmental phase in Summer 2023; the environmental assessment is expected to be submitted and approved by Spring 2025.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Texas Department of Transportation |url=https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot/get-involved/dal/i-345/2022-08-22-i345-feasibility-report-final.pdf |title=I-345 Feasibility Study}}</ref> Ceason Clemens, TxDOT's district engineer for Dallas, predicted it would take four to five years to secure funding then another five years for construction, with initial estimates putting construction costs at $1.65 billion.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=KERA |last=Peña |first=Pablo Arauz |url=https://www.keranews.org/news/2024-10-16/plan-replace-i-345-deep-ellum-underground-highway-dallas |title=Plans move forward to replace I-345 near Deep Ellum with underground highway |date=October 16, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[Dallas Morning News]] |last=Gaudet |first=Amber |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/2025/04/23/dallas-165-billion-rebuild-interstate-345-is-still-unfunded/ |title=Dallas' $1.65 billion plan to rebuild Interstate 345 is still unfunded |date=April 23, 2025 |access-date=May 1, 2025}}</ref>

==Exit list==
{{Unsourced section|date=October 2023}}
{{jcttop|exit|location=Dallas|county=Dallas|state=TX|length_ref=|type=highway}}
{{TXint|exit
|type=
|mile=0.00
|mspan=2
|exit=
|road={{jct|state=TX|I|45|dir1=south|city1=Houston}}
|notes=Continuation south
}}
{{TXint|exit
|type=
|mile=none
|exit=284A
|road={{jct|state=TX|I|30|name1={{jct|state=TX|US|67|noshield=yes}}}}
|notes=Exits&nbsp;46-47B on I-30
}}
{{TXint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=0.47
|exit=284B
|espan=2
|road=Main Street west / Elm Street
|notes=Northbound exit and southbound entrance
}}
{{TXint
|type=incomplete
|mile=0.81
|road=Live Oak Street
|notes=Southbound exit only
}}
{{TXint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=0.96
|mile2=1.23
|mspan=3
|exit=284C
|road=Bryan Street east
|notes=Northbound exit only
}}
{{TXint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=none
|exit=285
|road=[[Good-Latimer Expressway]] – [[Downtown Dallas|Downtown]]
|notes=Southbound exit and northbound entrance
}}
{{TXint|exit
|type=incomplete
|exit=285
|mile=none
|road=Ross Avenue
|notes=Southbound exit and northbound entrance
}}
{{TXint|exit
|type=
|mile=1.42
|mspan=2
|exit=286A (NB)<br>1A (SB)
|road={{jct|state=TX|to1=to|I|35E|name1={{jct|state=TX|US|77|noshield=yes}}|city1=Waco|city2=Denton}}
|notes=Access via [[Texas State Highway Spur 366|Spur 366]] (Woodall Rodgers Freeway)
}}
{{TXint|exit
|type=
|mile=none
|exit=
|road={{jct|state=TX|US|75|dir1=north|city1=McKinney}}
|notes=Continuation north
}}
{{jctbtm|keys=incomplete}}

==See also==
*{{portal-inline|Texas}}
*{{portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}

==Notes==
{{noteslist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
*[http://www.txdot.gov Texas Department of Transportation] (Official website)

[[Category:Interstate 45]]
[[Category:Unsigned auxiliary Interstate Highways|45]]
[[Category:Auxiliary Interstate Highways|45-3]]
[[Category:Highways in Dallas]]