The North Central Expressway extends from Woodall Rogers Freeway to County Line Road in Van Alstyne.

For the next six miles (9.7 km) north of downtown Dallas, the freeway lies more than 30 feet (9.1 m) below adjacent and partially cantilevered frontage roads.

The freeway is also adjacent to popular districts including Uptown, Cityplace, Lower Greenville, NorthPark Center, and the Telecom Corridor.

By the time Central Expressway opened for traffic, North Dallas and Richardson had already expanded beyond expectations, and the new highway was already hopelessly inadequate by the 1960s.

The Expressway did not reach the city of Anna and the northern Collin County line until late 1969 or early 1970.

Prior to reconstruction, the North Central Expressway was considered to be one of the most poorly designed freeways in the nation.

During Central Expressway's construction in the 1940s, the southern end of the road was routed through a historic African-American neighborhood, displacing 1,500 black residents.

When preparations began for the 1990s expansion of the route, it was discovered that a quarter of the 4-acre (16,000 m2) Freedman's Cemetery, with graves dating back to Emancipation, had been paved over.

After their reburial, the site was turned into a memorial to the working-class black residents of the area, which, after the expressways were built, became the upscale Uptown Dallas neighborhood.

However, the parallel section of I-45 north of the Trinity River is completely elevated, and is often difficult to traverse when ice storms hit Dallas (about once per year); thus, South Central often takes over some of the traffic during this time.

The South Central Expressway continues past a partial interchange with Interstate 20 to end at a merge with I-45 north of Hutchins.

Wright between I-45 and US 175's former east turn into a surface-street boulevard, and has held meetings with local residents about the project.