Understanding the Road Construction on I-35E in Red Oak
Picture this: You’re cruising down a highway that historically is a straight shot with no major twists and turns, only to suddenly encounter a significant, seemingly random diversion on the roadway that wasn’t there previously.
You’d probably be slightly alarmed and maybe wonder what that was and why now.
Well, North Texas drivers who frequently undertake the southern portion of Interstate 35E have probably not only experienced this, but wondered the exact same thing about the ongoing construction activity in the Red Oak area.
Curious Texas Investigation
Sam Grubb asked Curious Texas: “What is the road construction on the service roads of I-35 in Red Oak? Both northbound and southbound.”
Multiple Projects Underway
Curious Texas has tracked down the answer, and interestingly enough, there’s actually a few projects underway in Red Oak and a portion of Glenn Heights. Let’s unpack it all.
Earlier this year, the frontage roads near the Ovilla Road bridge over I-35E were closed to make way for the bridge’s reconstruction entirely, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
A visual of how the F.M. 664/Ovilla Road bridge over Interstate 35 in Red Oak will function once construction is completed.
Texas Department of Transportation
Officials said the Ovilla Road bridge will be turned into a single-point urban interchange, or an intersection design that moves large volumes of traffic through limited amounts of space efficiently.
Loop 9 Project
Another road project, less than a mile away from the bridge, is also in the works and is behind the previously mentioned lane shift on I-35E. The work underway at this site is a small piece of a larger project — creating a new corridor called Loop 9 that will provide a direct east-west link from U.S. Highway 67 to Interstate 20, according to TxDOT.
Here’s what you need to know about this project.
In late September, the northbound and southbound lanes of I-35E — between East Ovilla Road and East Bear Creek Road — were shifted to divert traffic flow onto newly paved roads that run parallel to the highway, according to Victoria Lara, public information officer with TxDOT’s Dallas district.
The rerouting is temporary while the current I-35E main lanes in this stretch are rebuilt into a bridge, Lara said. The south frontage road nearby will also undergo reconstruction.
Brightly colored traffic barrels line the northbound service road of Interstate 35E south of Ovilla Road in Red Oak on Nov. 2, 2025. Construction activity has caused delays for commuters in the Red Oak and Glenn Heights areas.
Steve Hamm / Special Contributor
Once the work is completed, Loop 9 will extend under the new I-35E bridge and connect to the southbound frontage road, Lara said. The I-35E lanes will stay diverted until late 2026, which is when the work in this area is expected to wrap up.
Lara said planning on the entire Loop 9 project kicked off in 2017, and it is anticipated to reach completion in spring 2028.
According to TxDOT, the aim of this project is to accommodate growing transportation demands and a need to expand the infrastructure in the area. It is designed to reduce travel times and support economic development opportunities for residents and businesses in the area.
Conclusion and Advice
“Thanks for everyone’s patience, and just remember to keep on driving cautiously through these areas, because things do evolve quickly as we continue to do some work out there,” Lara said.
It’s essential to note that road projects have very involved processes, typically with multiple steps and checkpoints. Further, road construction projects can encounter obstacles, no matter how detailed the planning, so completion dates are typically targeted and can be sooner or later.
As frustrating as it
