JLWM8609

That's correct about the toll road extension, but the viaduct replacement is a TxDOT project.

It already runs below the freeway. But, if you mean trenching it below the feeder roads, that would be neat. That whole intersection can become a mess even outside of rush hour.

HCFCD is hosting a virtual Almeda Bridge Community Engagement Meeting on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. https://www.projectbrays.org/all-segments/segment-2/about-almeda-rd-bridge/

Is there a diagram showing how this will be incorporated into the big I-45 relocation project? It dips into part of it.

There's a post earlier in the thread by MaxConcrete that had links to the schematics, but the website that hosts the images is down. Those would help even though Houston drivers like to seem to take them out, but what they really need to do is add Chenevert to the I-69/US 59 exit sign from the toll lane as well. Signage clarity is lacking in some aspects of this project.

Here's a few problems I've noticed from this project. 1. They placed a brand new I-610/Hurricane Evacuation Route sign on 288 NB at Bellfort, but the arrow on the sign points to the right toward the old exit location even though the exits to 610 have been moved to the left. Link showing the sign not present during construction: https://goo.gl/maps/vALTD5Ex7FLwY5PQA 2. The highway sign pavement markers at 288NB and I-69/US 59 say TX-59 instead of US 59. 3. At the same interchange, the pavement markings and the overhead signs don't match. The pavement and a sign shows the 2 left lanes will take you to I-45. In actuality, the #1 left lane turns into a lane that allows you to either go to I-45 or exit at Chenevert, while the #2 left lane is an exit only lane for Chenevert. Pavement says this lane will take you to I-45, but the overhead sign says otherwise. Driving along, you enter the #2 lane to access I-45 based upon this sign and the pavement marking in the previous photo. The next sign shows your lane is going to Chenevert instead of I-45. Exit only? You'd better get over now if you want to get on I-45. Forget what that sign said 1/2 mile ago!

Just hope they didn't pick the same contractors that did the Ardmore St. bridge for Harris County Flood Control District. Opening was pushed back almost 2 months because they had to redo the deck.

I'm not challenging you, but why is HTX considered controversial? Is it the same reason why EaDo makes people cringe?

https://www.facebook.com/CommissionerPrecinctOne/posts/1778261569010117 I guess I'm late, but you can't embed FB posts here?

In a pleasant surprise, the Ardmore St. bridge opened to traffic up this morning.

That's my parents' front yard on the right. People did frequently go the wrong way on S. MacGregor before the bridge project started. People would turn into their driveway to u-turn or do a crude 3-point turn in the middle of the street, blocking traffic and go the right way, or they sometimes even get as far as the curve in the bend between Ardmore and W. Leland Anderson St. before hitting someone head-on or turning around. My mom remembers when they restriped the streets. She left home one morning in 1980 or 1981 and came back that evening and found out she couldn't get back in the driveway because the street was now one way. They had to take a a circuitous route using the 288 feeder roads or go through those back streets where the psychiatric center is now if they were coming from east of Ardmore. Plans in the 1970s called for N. and S. MacGregor to be one way between Almeda and Calhoun with bridges built between Ardmore and Scott and between Scott and Calhoun to allow for u-turns. Some say it was part of an even larger long term plan to eventually turn the area into a giant research campus between the Medical Center and UH. Under then District D Councilman Anthony Hall, a compromise was reached and the one way terminated at Ardmore. But back to the bridge. It's still not open. The contractors appear to be doing work on the sewer lines again. There's a hole dug in my parents' yard now as well as on the bank of the bayou. I guess they messed up on that, too. The Buffalo Speedway Bridge is closing on January 18th, and last time I checked, the same contractor for the Ardmore and Stella Link bridges won the bid on that project, too. At this rate, I guess we can hope for a February opening maybe? I also think this Ardmore delay is delaying the start of the Almeda and Calhoun bridge projects. You can see workers starting to stage at Almeda.

Turns out I've known @Specwriterfrom another organization since before I joined HAIF. It wasn't until a few years ago that we put two and two together and realized it and met up for lunch.

They swapped out the distinctive white strobe aircraft warning lights at the end of the needles with red LED lights that flash alternatively.

I asked HCFCD about an underpass at Ardmore before they started construction and they said no. I can't remember if their excuse was based on engineering or they pulled the "we're not in the business of transportation" card.

Considering that they got rid of the slip turn lane at N. MacGregor and 288 to eliminate a conflict point between cars and pedestrians going to the new HEB, it puzzled me that they included this U-turn lane in the plans for the Ardmore bridge. I've lived near that corner 30+ years and there's always pedestrian and bicycle traffic there. The u-turn lane is unfortunately adding another conflict point between cars and pedestrians/cyclists. I made it known that I was against the u-turn lane for that reason, but Harris County wouldn't budge on changing the plans. In fact, Harris County didn't ask our neighborhood for input when the bridge was in the planning process, and initially only gave us a few weeks advance notice of the bridge closure, which led to a 6 month delay of the start of project. Considering the contractor screwup, this new bridge has been a clusterf from square one. I'll be glad when it opens so I won't have to take a neighborhood tour every time I need to get to 288.

To be fair, there were a lot of rural landowners who were opposed to the failed, quarter mile wide Trans Texas Corridor that included two separate highways within its ROW (one for cars and one for trucks).

From 2005... https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=309083

Oof! I hope nobody got hurt.

I remembered that the original plans from the 60s called for the inside express lanes to have no exits from 610 to Downtown, so despite the Holcombe exit, maybe that's keeping in the spirit of the original intent?

I tried out the new lanes today. I went outbound from the start at Southmore to Magnolia Parkway in Pearland. Inbound from FM518 to Holcombe. I know one of the main objectives of this project was access to the Medical Center, but it would've been helpful to have an exit from the northbound toll lanes to the northbound mainlanes somewhere between 610 and Holcombe so toll lane users can easily access the N./S. MacGregor, Calumet/Binz and Southmore exits. Otherwise you have to exit at Holcombe and use Almeda to get to those streets, or take the exit to the mainlanes near I-69/US 59 and hop off at Chenevert and hop back southbound via Jackson. I guess part of the reason for no exit to the mainlanes there is to take those vehicles that would normally use MacGregor to access the Medical Center and put them on Holcombe instead?

Postmodern downtown building lighting reached its peak in the 1990s. I remember when Heritage Plaza had more neon. I think the pyramid portion was outlined in neon at one point, but I can't find pictures. Wedge International was decked out with green neon edges. In the late 90s, things became dimmer. Lots of red anti-collision lights at night but not much in terms of more decorative lighting.

The Southmore bridge finally opened up today. Photo taken by me.

Here's my proposal. Fill in the slip lanes, get rid of the island in the middle for a traffic light and mount them at the corners with long mast arms, and realign/extend sidewalks as needed.

Rodney Ellis is an avid cyclist and supporter of the local bike trails. Contact his office too even though it's not in his precinct. Maybe he can influence Judge Hidalgo to send some funds toward bridge replacement. Also, if HCFCD is doing any work on that channel, it may have been due for replacement in the future.