Texas Transportation Commission is set to receive $285m loan from the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) for the reconstruction and expansion of a section of I-35E in the Dallas metro area.

Announced by US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, the loan is under Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA).

The TIFIA loan programme will be administered by the DOT’s new Build America Bureau, which is a ‘one-stop shop’ created for streamlining the credit and grant opportunities for communities in the Dallas area,

"The bureau helps DOT to meet the needs of America’s growing infrastructure challenges and to build a 21st century transportation system."

Build America Bureau also offers technical assistance and encouraging innovative approaches to project planning, financing, delivery, and monitoring.

Foxx said: “The bureau helps DOT to meet the needs of America’s growing infrastructure challenges and to build a 21st century transportation system.

“Thousands of Dallas-area commuters and businesses will benefit from this new project that uses technology solutions to better manage traffic flow into and out of the area.”

The I-35E project will be completed in phases, which includes reconstruction and expansion of 28-mile section between I-635 to US 380. It serves the rapidly growing areas of southern and central Denton County as well as the major Dallas suburbs immediately north of I-635.

It is also an arterial route for the commuters travelling to Denton-area universities.

The first phase of the project includes a northern segment that runs from Turbeville Road to US 380. The improvements works include one additional general purpose lane in each direction and two reversible priced lanes.

The lanes will be priced as per the time of day and will be shifted in the direction of heavy traffic flow during peak times to relieve congestion. The project also features numerous frontage road, interchange and ramp additions and upgrades.