Never Used Highways In Houston - Stub Outs, Etc.

[Marty Blaise]

Here is a good example of stub outs (or ghost ramps) - http://maps.google.com/?ll=29.681871,-95.380283&spn=0.001763,0.001725&hnear=8611+Twisting+Vine+Ln,+Houston,+Texas+77040&t=h&z=19 and here's another, both of these on SH 288 - http://maps.google.com/?ll=29.69816,-95.375893&spn=0.001763,0.001725&hnear=8611+Twisting+Vine+Ln,+Houston,+Texas+77040&t=h&z=19.

There are many stub outs or ghost ramps around Houston for roads that were never (or haven't yet) been built. SH288 was originally going to be two freeways, with the inside an express freeway with few exits, that would have been a quick way to and from downtown. I guess funding issues caused its downfall.

Other stubs in the Houston area:

SH 225 ending before Broadway

Fort Bend Parkway both ends

Grand Parkway

Never built freeways in Houston area - Connection from 610 to Fort Bend Parkway, Fairmont Parkway Freeway, Red Bluff Road Freeway, extension of SH 35 to Alvin and around Alvin, two gaps in US90 Crosby Freeway before BW8, rest of Crosby Freeway to Dayton, Grand Parkway/Tollway sections, SH249 north of Spring-Cypress Road, SH146 sections from Baytown to Texas City.

[JLWM8609]

There's a stub on the ramp from US 59 NB to I-10WB. I presume that stubout will eventually lead to the new Elysian viaduct and onward to the Hardy Tollroad extension since the sign, which was previously covered until Ike came through, reads Elysian St.

https://maps.google.com/?ll=29.768112,-95.344913&spn=0.00474,0.010568&hnear=8611+Twisting+Vine+Ln,+Houston,+Texas+77040&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=29.767858,-95.344989&panoid=JQ0Bzo7FCY0m-xPLGnopBQ&cbp=12,16.24,,0,-20.74

You've also got stub outs at Spur 5's current terminus at OST, and there's a stubout on the SB feeder road of 288 down at the Airport exit waiting for the eventual construction of continous feeder roads between 610 and BW8.

As far as the 288 dual freeway is concerned, the project will live on, although the express lanes will be tolled. I'm pretty sure that's not what the designers envisioned 50 years ago, but again, funding issues.

[FilioScotia]

My favorite Houston area ghost ramp is on the circle at the south end of the Washburn Tunnel. Look at it on Google Earth, and you can see the circle has an exit ramp pointing in a generally southeast direction, but it never went anywhere. Not just that it can NEVER go anywhere because it has never been needed, and perhaps that direction is now blocked by development. Great planning guys.

The tunnel and the access circles were built in 1950, and that ghost ramp to nowhere has always been one of the south side circle's more enduring and endearing mysteries.

[ToryGattis]

My favorite Houston area ghost ramp is on the circle at the south end of the Washburn Tunnel. Look at it on Google Earth, and you can see the circle has an exit ramp pointing in a generally southeast direction, but it never went anywhere. Not just that it can NEVER go anywhere because it has never been needed, and perhaps that direction is now blocked by development. Great planning guys.

The tunnel and the access circles were built in 1950, and that ghost ramp to nowhere has always been one of the south side circle's more enduring and endearing mysteries.

Looks to me like it was intended to connect to Main St., but that never happened for whatever reason. Looks like Shaver was supposed to be one-way southbound and Main was supposed to be one-way northbound all the way to the circle and the tunnel.

I'd guess the need simply wasn't there to justify the expensive grade separation across the rail.

[FilioScotia]

Looks to me like it was intended to connect to Main St., but that never happened for whatever reason.

I never thought about that. It IS possible that the original plan may have been to connect that ramp to North Main. It would have made sense and it would have been a perfect fit.

But, as you suggest, digging out another RR underpass like the one on North Shaver may have been too expensive.