Hard to imagine today, but in 1958, the busy I-20 and I-35W interchange in Fort Worth was surrounded by open land, and the highway didn’t even extend east of the intersection.
A fascinating photo comparison shared by Texas Highway Man shows just how much this familiar stretch of highway has changed between 1958 and 2023.
Back then, I-20 was known as Loop 217, which opened westward to Granbury Road in 1958 and reached the intersection of US 377 (Benbrook Boulevard) and Camp Bowie Boulevard in 1959. The highway was later designated I-820 before becoming part of I-20 in 1971.
The original cloverleaf interchange remained until 1990, when a major freeway reconstruction project replaced it. Additional improvements and expansions followed throughout the 1990s.
Today, the comparison reveals a dramatically different landscape, with expanded highways, elevated ramps, businesses, and neighborhoods filling what was once mostly open land.
And if you’re wondering why the 2023 image shows almost no traffic, Google’s 3D aerial imagery combines multiple photographs, which can make moving vehicles disappear.
Take a closer look at the photos. It’s a remarkable glimpse at how much Fort Worth and the roads connecting Benbrook have changed in just 65 years.
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