Located at the junction of the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway (Interstate 635, or I-635) and the Central Expressway (U.S. Highway 75, or US 75), it replaces an antiquated combination interchange constructed in the 1960s.

The interchange is considered by Popular Mechanics to be one of "The World's 18 Strangest Roadways" because of its height (as high as a 12-story building), its 43 permanent bridges, and other unusual design and construction features.

It is the junction of two major highways carrying heavy rush-hour traffic, the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway (I-635) and the Central Expressway (US 75), and is the first five-level stack interchange to be built in the city.

[4] It replaces the antiquated three-level modified cloverleaf interchange built in the 1960s, which caused a severe bottleneck by narrowing US 75 down to two lanes at the junction of the two highways.

[9][10] From bottom to top, the roads on the five levels are:[5][11] The interchange is decorated with etchings on precast concrete elements, along with coloration specified by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

[14] Reasons for upgrading the interchange, in addition to the need to increase traffic flow and reduce congestion, were to improve air quality, safety, and local access.

[2] In 2006, APWA named the High Five "Public Works Project of the Year" for its massive size, its innovative design, the complexity and rapidity of its construction, and the need it fulfilled for the community.

[4] The interchange is ranked by Popular Mechanics as one of "The World's 18 Strangest Roadways", which called it a "labyrinth of lanes" and a "five-level marvel of engineering" because of its height, the number of its bridges, and other unusual design and construction features.