Southern Gateway Deck Park (I-35E), Dallas, Texas

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The I-35 East Highway capping project will cover the Oak Cliff neighborhood between Ewing and Marsalis Avenues, near the Dallas Zoo. This project began in 2017 and included a deck park design as part of the reconstruction project to widen I-35 from eight lanes to 10. The project will reunify Oak Cliff, which was divided by the I-35 East Highway 50 years ago at during the height of highway construction. The interstates construction divided the community, causing economic damage in Southern Dallas. In 2017, Opportunity Dallas, a policy and advocacy group that works on affordable housing and segregation issues, convened a task force to study the effects of segregation and the lack of affordable housing available in Dallas. The study, which noted that a lack of mobility and investment in low-income communities plays a major role in generational poverty, was presented to the City of Dallas in early 2018. It revealed that the new park would connect two of the lowest-income census tracts in Dallas, addressing the lack of mobility while generating economic investment in the surrounding areas. The project broke ground in 2018 and will bridge two federally designated areas where investors in new business are eligible for tax incentives and other benefits. The Southern Gateway Deck Park will feature a five-acre park design, spaces for educational programs, and citywide access to new connective infrastructure. The first half of construction will be completed in late 2023. The deck park is a part of the Texas Department of Transportation's $666 million, 11-mile expansion project that aims to improve safety, relieve congestion, address roadway deficiencies, and improve system linkages along approximately 11 miles of I-35 and US 67. The deck park will include six acres of green space, a children's garden, water features, arts, a dog park, and a pavilion for concerts and other events. The project crosses many communities, including the Tenth Street Historic District. To reduce concerns about gentrification, the neighborhood will receive a grant from the National Trust to hire staff to help preserve its history. The project will be a similar concept to the Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, which has generated over $1.3 billion in economic impact.

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