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Big project along North Shepherd between Little York and 45?


Jesse

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Just drove up Shepherd today to avoid an accident on 45 and noticed a huge construction project in the median.  Anybody know what's going on?  Lots of digging and tearing up the dirt, but I did notice 3 large rebar frames big enough to possibly support a roadway overhead.  Is it going to be some kind of HOV connector to 45 or something?  Couldn't find any info on the transtar construction page either.

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This is listed on TxDOT's projects page (scroll down about halfway):

 

http://www.txdot.gov/insdtdot/geodist/hou/cserve/constrpt/ccnst_3.htm

 

I think they're building a flyover for access to 45 to bypass the narrow, traffic signal-controlled onramp that currently exists. 

 

And to avoid the left entrance onto I-45 NB? That would be great. Otherwise, what's the point of this construction project?

 

This work was needed decades ago. So much of the North Freeway's and North Loop's congestion in the p.m. rush hour is due to this intersection.

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What I've been told is that the current northbound entrance from Shepherd to 45 will remain, only it will be strictly there to gain access to the HOV. These are much needed ramps, and will certainly help alleviate the back-ups that occur daily there at the N. Shepherd and Stuebner Airline intersection, and free up the bottleneck along the feeder for drivers needing to use it to access Stuebner, Little York, and Victory via the Shepherd exit.

I guess the current SB exit will just be marked for just Little York once the project is complete, instead of N. Shepherd and Little York, as it is now. Maybe they'll add N./S. Victory to the freeway signage.

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These are a long time coming. Google Earth shows this basic configuration has been in place since the early 50s when it was US 75 and still a divided 4-lane highway with crossovers. :o

 

I assume they have designed these ramps so they'll fit in with the widened and reconstructed North Freeway that'll be coming along in a few years. Are there any schematics or renderings available?

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Wait, wasn't Airline still US 75 in the 50's? I had no idea the Shepherd curve had been there since the 50's. 45 had nothing done to that horrible left lane entrance when it last had major construction done to this part of the freeway in the 80's. I've been looking for some type of drawings or blueprints for what this set of ramps are going to look like, but can't find a rendition either. My guess is a one lane entrance onto the northbound lanes from the right shoulder, and a one lane exit onto southbound Shepherd that will drop you into the far left lane. They may end up tearing that long abandoned Shell on the corner down and reconfigure the entire interchange. If they could shove everyone continuing on the feeder toward Little York to some new lanes directly next to the freeway, with the current set of lanes dedicated to moving traffic onto Shepherd, Victory, etc., it would really help decongest the area. I'm excited to see how this project moves forward.

I have noticed the old Kmart building at 630 W Little York has been sold, those inside removed, and all the openings in the building covered in plywood. I couldn't imagine them repurposing this building again with so much damage, but maybe they've closed it up to keep people out until they tear it down.

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I have noticed the old Kmart building at 630 W Little York has been sold, those inside removed, and all the openings in the building covered in plywood

 

I wouldn't be surprised if it's deemed some sort of hazard by the county. I saw some pictures on Flickr--pitch dark, remnants of a sketchy flea market that was there before (if I recall correctly, it closed after Ike in 2008 and did not reopen).

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One of the two northbound feeder lanes between Canino and Gulf Bank is currently closed due to construction. I assume the construction is related to the Gulf Bank exit ramp relocation. 

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Wait, wasn't Airline still US 75 in the 50's? I had no idea the Shepherd curve had been there since the 50's.

 

You're correct. Airline was US 75. I think US 75 used to run on Airline all the way to Aldine Bender. But, in the early 50s, the 4 lane section was constructed between Aldine Bender and the current day intersection of I-45 and Airline, and US 75 south of Aldine Bender was then transferred to the new highway, while the remainder of Airline to Aldine Bender was re-designated as Loop 149. Interestingly enough, a 1952 map shows both Airline and N.Shepherd to be designated as US 75.

 

http://texasfreeway.com/Houston/historic/road_maps/images/1952_houston_humble_highres.jpg

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I thought so, thanks for the map. I never knew Shepherd was designated as 75 at any point. Only highway I've ever heard Shepherd referred to as is Spur 261. I didn't realize that 45 came through the northside so early. The old 75, from my parents recollection, continued past Aldine Bender toward the modern day 45 ROW. If you go to the back of Sherwin Williams Paint and look down the ROW for Old Airline, then back towards the current Airline and the newer 45, you can see the straight line that had to have been the highway coming through. Neat map, btw, and thanks for posting it!

IronTiger, you are correct. Ike killed the Traders Fair flea market that was in the building when it tore up the roof. It's been "vacant" ever since.

You say you saw pictures on Flickr of the interior? Could you post them? What I saw of the interior, there wasn't much left. No ceilings, concrete floors, doors missing, trash everywhere, and that unmistakable smell of urination. The interior, much like the exterior, is completely destroyed. I was in it as the flea market. Still looked like the interior of an old Kmart, just extremely filthy. After seeing it basically gutted, I'm not sure it was that much worse than when the building was functioning as a flea market. There were work trucks in the parking lot on Friday. Pretty sure that was construction workers for Shepherd, but not positive.

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I thought so, thanks for the map. I never knew Shepherd was designated as 75 at any point. Only highway I've ever heard Shepherd referred to as is Spur 261. I didn't realize that 45 came through the northside so early. The old 75, from my parents recollection, continued past Aldine Bender toward the modern day 45 ROW. If you go to the back of Sherwin Williams Paint and look down the ROW for Old Airline, then back towards the current Airline and the newer 45, you can see the straight line that had to have been the highway coming through. Neat map, btw, and thanks for posting it!

 

Purpledevil, if you haven't already seen it you should definitely check out the thread that ran here for several years on the history of the Aldine area, in particular this post:

 

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/7234-history-on-the-area-of-aldine/?p=106857

 

Unfortunately, many of the linked pics in this thread seem to have disappeared from where they were being hosted, but the one which was annotated by Firebird65 in the above linked post is relevant to your comments. For reference, here's the original, unannotated version of it that I saved years ago when the thread was still active:

 

A06_N3BHLA5371959_800_zpsabca6d20.jpg

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Holy cow! Stuebner Airline is still connected! I've never seen a picture that shows the connection between the present day Vets Memorial and the old Stuebner Airline that restarts next to that old Kmart mentioned above. That's amazing! Little trivia, right there where the two roads should link, there used to be a huge slide for kids, back in the 70s, that I'd beg to go to when I was little. I think there's a tile company there now. Thanks for the link, mkultra!

IronTiger, that's actually a little better than when I saw it, not much, but a little. The pics don't do it justice, you've got to have your nose involved to get the scope of just how bad the interior really was/is. I think they took all the doors off of the building last year just so it could "air out". The old auto shop in the corner of the building, facing Shepherd, was the absolute worst when I was there. The smell of oil, grease, and bodily fluids combined would literally knock you down.

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This would be phenomenal.  Thanks everyone for the quick info & good discussion!

 

 

This is listed on TxDOT's projects page (scroll down about halfway):

 

http://www.txdot.gov/insdtdot/geodist/hou/cserve/constrpt/ccnst_3.htm

 

I think they're building a flyover for access to 45 to bypass the narrow, traffic signal-controlled onramp that currently exists. 

 

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I just went for a look at this area. The current state:

  • The construction extends from Granville Drive to I-45, about a mile in length.
  • The crossovers at Rittenhouse, Millville, and an unnamed one to the north of that are currently closed. I couldn't tell if these closures would be permanent, but I would guess that at least the one at Rittenhouse would have to be (see next).
  • On the northbound side on Shepherd, it looks like they are building an entrance ramp from the existing lanes on Shepherd into the median. This looks like it will be a separate and partially grade-separated facility (see next).
  • In the Shepherd median on the south side of Little York, they were drilling in some places and in others, erecting the rebar for the supports of an elevated structure. It looks like this new road will fly over Little York.
  • If it is elevated at Little York, it seems obvious that it will be elevated at Victory.
  • The concrete for the I-45 SB feeder exit to the HOV lane SB is crushed and is being removed. I couldn't tell what its replacement might be.

With the above in mind, I wonder if they could have a direct connector from Shepherd to I-45 AND to Veterans Memorial. I also wonder if this sets the stage for future Shepherd overpasses at Parker and the Northew/W Montgomery Road/Tidwell intersection. They probably need no ROW, but if they do there are only junkyards at those intersections.

 

If they built those overpasses, you could drive from Donovan (just north of Pinemont) to I-45 without any stoplights. Combined with improved intersections at Veterans and possibly W Montgomery, this could take some of the traffic burden off I-45.

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I forgot to add that I also saw a maybe 60 foot long cylindrical assembly of rebar lying in the median north of Victory. I am guessing this is a support for a flyover but I don't know where it would be put.

 

Another thing I was wondering is if this grade separated structure will be for both northbound and southbound traffic or just northbound. Probably no need for an elevated lane from SB Veterans to SB Shepherd, but from the I-45 feeder or mainlanes, that would be useful in bypassing this intersection.There is certainly space for at least one southbound lane in the median, which is 70 feet wide and 55 feet at intersections with left turn lanes.

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Holy cow! Stuebner Airline is still connected! I've never seen a picture that shows the connection between the present day Vets Memorial and the old Stuebner Airline that restarts next to that old Kmart mentioned above. That's amazing! Little trivia, right there where the two roads should link, there used to be a huge slide for kids, back in the 70s, that I'd beg to go to when I was little. 

 

Yep, the Watercoaster. Those who remember that northside fixture (as well as its neighbor, Malibu Grand Prix) will probably find this quite entertaining:

 

http://elfishingmusician.blogspot.com/2012/02/houstons-watercoaster-and-malibu-grand.html

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  • 1 month later...
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Anyone know what the end-game plan is for this? From Google Earth, it looks like the median of Rittenhouse to I-45 is all torn up.

Noticed:

- Rittenhouse's crossing is torn up, but they seem to be rebuilding the intersection.

- Millville's crossing closed, and another turnaround just north of it.

- Another turnaround torn up (access to back of Joe V's)

- Shepherd Pr 2 Drive's crossing closed

- Entrance to the HOV lane from the southbound I-45 frontage road closed.

All this was as of February of this year.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Please tell me this will be open both directions at the same time - I'm going to be pissed if it's only open Southbound in the morning and Northbound in the afternoon.  It will do nothing for my reverse commute.

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  • 11 months later...

Not sure when it's supposed to open, but to add another project-related roadway change to the list, the Gulf Bank exit on the northbound side of I-45 was permanently closed several months ago as part of the construction of the new ramp to 45 from Shepherd. Northbound traffic needing to access Gulf Bank now has to take the Canino exit and continue on the feeder to Gulf Bank. 

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Please tell me this will be open both directions at the same time - I'm going to be pissed if it's only open Southbound in the morning and Northbound in the afternoon.  It will do nothing for my reverse commute.

 

Unless they've magically added additional HOV lanes, it will be one way inbound in the morning and outbound in the afternoon.

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Unless they've magically added additional HOV lanes, it will be one way inbound in the morning and outbound in the afternoon.

 

It's not an HOV ramp. They're flyover ramps to allow traffic to enter and exit I-45 from and onto N. Shepherd while bypassing intersections at Veteran's Memorial, Victory (NB ramp only) and Little York (NB ramp only).

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  • 1 month later...

Anyone know a date when this project is supposed to be finished?  It looks really close but I drive by it every day so it's like watching water boil.  Really looking forward to starting to use it.

 

It was supposed to have been completed early this year per an article I found in a Google Search. I can't find it on the TxDOT Project Tracker Guide though.

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