Interstate 35W (Texas)

Interstate 35W (Texas)

Interstate 35W (abbreviated I-35W), an Interstate Highway, is the western half of Interstate 35 where it splits to serve different cities in Texas. I-35 splits into two branch routes, I-35W and I-35E at Hillsboro. I-35W runs north for 85.20 miles (137.12 km), carrying its own separate sequence of exit numbers. It runs through Fort Worth before rejoining with I-35E to reform I-35 in Denton. It is the more direct route for long-distance expressway traffic, as is noted on signs on I-35 leading into the I-35W/I-35E splits. This is one of two pairs of suffixed Interstates that has not been eliminated; I-35 also splits into I-35W and I-35E in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.

Historically, other interstates were given directional suffixes. On every other interstate, the directional suffixes were phased out by giving the route a loop or spur designation. In the case of I-35, since both branches return to a unified interstate beyond the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, the AASHTO committees allowed the suffixes to remain.

During the 1970s, billboards existed on I-35 encouraging travelers to take the faster and shorter I-35W route.