Grand Parkway Expansion

[august948]

Yeah but Texas is pretty unique with the amount it has in its urban areas compared to other places across the country.

 

I don't know about that.  The Bay area, for instance, has quite a bit of interstate criss-crossing it, as do most cities.  What I have found to be unique here is the almost ubiquitous presence of access roads along the interstates.

 

[cloud713]

I don't know about that. The Bay area, for instance, has quite a bit of interstate criss-crossing it, as do most cities. What I have found to be unique here is the almost ubiquitous presence of access roads along the interstates.

It's definitely unique at least in terms of size and interchange style. Texas is one of the few states with 5 stack interchanges, and Houston certainly takes the cake with total 5 stacks, at 9-10. Its hard to keep track with all the new construction.

But yes you could argue other cities have just as many major intersections (just smaller interchanges). LA comes to mind, with it's mess of highways crisscrossing all over town. But many other cities have dozens of interchanges as well.

Edit: the flyovers are the reason for the big interchanges (besides of course the feeder roads adding the 5th level), instead of lower "over/under" overpasses with cloverleaf ramps. I certainly think the flyovers are much better for traffic flow and keeping higher speeds. So I'm a fan of the big interchanges. (I also love the views of the city from the top since Houston lacks tall hills)

Edited January 2, 2014 by cloud713

[august948]

 So I'm a fan of the big interchanges. (I also love the views of the city from the top since Houston lacks tall hills)

 

If you haven't already, you should take the 59E exit off Beltway 8 South.  It goes quite a ways up. 

 

[hbcu]

I drove 99 Southbound today and I was at 1-10 from my spot in Waller County (290 area near Hempstead) in 28 minutes

[nolaboy]

I had some time to kill this afternoon so I took I-10 WB to 99 NB and turned back around at Clay Rd. I was surprised to see no U-turn lanes at this intersection. All of the crossings on 99 between I-10 and 1093 have u-turn lanes. Is segment E not supposed to have any or will they come as the surrounding areas develop?

I'm not a long time Houstonian so I dont know the history of existing highways when they were originally developed in new areas. Does anyone know if U-turns historically were added after the area develops?

Also I noticed that on the 99 SB side the I-10 WB signs on the Franz Rd exit have been cleared. I'm not sure when it happened but the 99 SB to I-10 WB direct connector is now open. The mainlanes of 99 SB has a single I-10 east/west BGS with control cities of Houston and San Antonio consigned. Each is on a separate sign near the top of the exit ramp as the lanes split to go their respective ways.

Edited January 3, 2014 by nolaboy

[Trae]

The only uturns north are at Franz and Morton roads. There are also frontage roads in those sections.

[LTAWACS]

Well, then, if that's true we should thank him and name it in his honor.

What should we call it? The Corrupt Government Official Tollway? The Nickel And Dime Highway? The Money Laundering Kickback Freeway?

[gmac]

Drove the southbound section today from 290 to Cinco Ranch Blvd., and it was quite boring and pleasant, apart from the usual coterie of jackasses who think they're in NASCAR.

 

I would love it if they could send out tickets based on average speed between toll tag checkpoints, but that would obviously be an infringement upon the right to speed.

[august948]

What should we call it? The Corrupt Government Official Tollway? The Nickel And Dime Highway? The Money Laundering Kickback Freeway?

 

Those are all too generic...they could apply to almost any road and other pubic works project (including rail transit projects).

 

Just the Bob Lanier Parkway would be sufficient.

 

[JLWM8609]

Those are all too generic...they could apply to almost any road and other pubic works project (including rail transit projects).

 

Just the Bob Lanier Parkway would be sufficient.

 

 

I think there's already a section of 146 named after Lanier in Baytown. Additionally, calling it a parkway would go against the Houston area's trend of slapping the designation of parkway on roads that are nowhere near being a parkway, which are typically limited access roads that pass through park-like settings. Examples of non-parkway parkways: St. Joseph Parkway, NASA Parkway, Cypress Creek Parkway.

[IronTiger]

I think there's already a section of 146 named after Lanier in Baytown. Additionally, calling it a parkway would go against the Houston area's trend of slapping the designation of parkway on roads that are nowhere near being a parkway, which are typically limited access roads that pass through park-like settings. Examples of non-parkway parkways: St. Joseph Parkway, NASA Parkway, Cypress Creek Parkway.

I typically like Houston's naming schemes. Northwest Freeway is far shorter and way more descriptive than Sen. Politician Somelastname Freeway. Bonus points if they add a middle initial.

[SkylineView]

I drove this on Saturday.  I was pretty surprised at the amount of traffic (both directions).  The construction seems a bit screwy though.  It was like they took a cross between the westpark (which is a continuous concrete chute) and 288 (which is wide open with grass and a wire divider).  Did anyone else think it felt a bit odd?  Tons of starts / stops to railings and dividers.  

 

I also noted the high number of excessive speeders (doing 90+), but there were cops out there handing out tickets.  Also, given the aforementioned construction, there are a near infinite number of places for them to sit, so people will have to go back to the Hardy to really crank it up.

 

EDIT:  Also, meant to say "nice road".  You can even see downtown from out there at one point.  Pretty cool.

Edited January 5, 2014 by SkylineView

[westguy76]

I live in the Cinco Ranch area.  I have driven this section 3 times since it opened.  Once to the outlet malls and twice as a route to North Texas, Dallas and Possum Kingdom.  That worked quite well allowing me to avoid all of 45 and the beltway south of Madsonville big time saver too.

 

[LTAWACS]

Sorry you live so far. Traffic probably bites.

This road does not appear to serve anyone else besides those in the exburbs.

Edited January 8, 2014 by LTAWACS

[IronTiger]

This road does not appear to serve anyone else besides those in the exburbs.

The same argument is used for light rail. My opinions? I'm a bit depressed. That part of the freeway wasn't even limited access a decade ago, and look it at now...

[august948]

Sorry you live so far. Traffic probably bites.

This road does not appear to serve anyone else besides those in the exburbs.

 

If by exurbs you mean people who live between Beltway 8 and Highway 6, then I would agree.  I took it to and from Austin this week and it beats the socks off my old route going north on Eldridge to hit 290.  I clocked 14 mins from 290 to I10 and that was without really trying.

 

[JLWM8609]

This road does not appear to serve anyone else besides those in the exburbs.

 

One of the reasons for building the Grand Parkway (and every other loop in Houston) is to give through traffic a way to pass through the Houston area without going through the center of the city. For example, a trucker going from Corpus to Shreveport taking the Grand Parkway from Sugar Land to Porter to bypass central Houston. Once segments F-2 and G are complete, it'll be interesting to see if it finds more use as a bypass or as an arterial route.

[Slick Vik]

One of the reasons for building the Grand Parkway (and every other loop in Houston) is to give through traffic a way to pass through the Houston area without going through the center of the city. For example, a trucker going from Corpus to Shreveport taking the Grand Parkway from Sugar Land to Porter to bypass central Houston. Once segments F-2 and G are complete, it'll be interesting to see if it finds more use as a bypass or as an arterial route.

 

I think that's more of a side effect. The reasoning for building it was strictly money.

[august948]

I think that's more of a side effect. The reasoning for building it was strictly money.

As much as you may think Lanier is the antichrist, he doesn't have THAT much power. That said, just about everything that gets built is built with money as a significant or driving factor. Ever hear of the Allen brothers?

[Slick Vik]

As much as you may think Lanier is the antichrist, he doesn't have THAT much power. That said, just about everything that gets built is built with money as a significant or driving factor. Ever hear of the Allen brothers?

 

He had that much power, and more. He was a very influential highway commissioner before being the mayor.

[LTAWACS]

His level of corruption was surpassed only by the totality of his deceit.

[IronTiger]

Grand Parkway has been planning for at least 2 decades, maybe longer. Sure, had it been built a decade ago, it would've likely followed the "frontage roads first" rule, but the fact why this segment was built now also is because how Katy and Cypress have been growing.

[cloud713]

It actually has been on the boards since the early 1960s.. Three decades before Lanier ever took office...

[LTAWACS]

Grand Parkway has been planning for at least 2 decades, maybe longer. Sure, had it been built a decade ago, it would've likely followed the "frontage roads first" rule, but the fact why this segment was built now also is because how Katy and Cypress have been growing.

Katy is not large enough to warrant speeding up construction of this road. There are maybe 12k ppl who live in Katy? Tiny.

Same for Cypress. Is that an incorporated city?

I cannot recall the last time either of these two jokes of a city ever annexed land.

[IronTiger]

Katy is not large enough to warrant speeding up construction of this road. There are maybe 12k ppl who live in Katy? Tiny.

Same for Cypress. Is that an incorporated city?

I cannot recall the last time either of these two jokes of a city ever annexed land.

Katy is stuck in the ETJ of Houston and cannot annex without Houston's permission, so any annexation is rare.

Cypress is not incorporated and unless Houston gives the OK for them to do so, they never will. They're smack dab in the ETJ. It's far less likely that Cypress would become an independent city and far more likely that Houston annexes it.

Edited January 10, 2014 by IronTiger

[Trae]

Katy is not large enough to warrant speeding up construction of this road. There are maybe 12k ppl who live in Katy? Tiny.

Same for Cypress. Is that an incorporated city?

I cannot recall the last time either of these two jokes of a city ever annexed land.

The "Katy area" has about 300,000 people and includes much more than the City of Katy. Cypress is of similar size probably. I'm glad they built most of this thing without frontage roads. It will look much better once growth comes around it.

[asubrt]

Katy is not large enough to warrant speeding up construction of this road. There are maybe 12k ppl who live in Katy? Tiny.

Same for Cypress. Is that an incorporated city?

I cannot recall the last time either of these two jokes of a city ever annexed land.

 

I cannot recall the last time this joke of a poster ever made a knowledgable statement. Please stop talking about things you know nothing about. Clearly you've demonstrated that you've never spent any time whatsoever in any of the areas surrounding Houston. The actual Katy area, not the city limits because that means nothing in this case, as Trae mentioned, has a population close to 300k, which would make it one of the largest, if not the largest, suburbs of Houston. This highway was much needed, just because you aren't one of the many people who will use it doesn't mean it does not serve an important function to the people of West Houston. 

[august948]

Katy is not large enough to warrant speeding up construction of this road. There are maybe 12k ppl who live in Katy? Tiny.

Same for Cypress. Is that an incorporated city?

I cannot recall the last time either of these two jokes of a city ever annexed land.

The west side of the Houston area has a population of 1.5 million and is projected to reach 2.8 million by 2050. The Grand Pkwy runs almost dead center of that area.

http://www.westhouston.org/pop_&_emp.htm

[cloud713]

The Grand Pkwy runs almost dead center of that area.

http://www.westhouston.org/pop_&_emp.htm

Ugh.. Unfortunately. I was kind of hoping the grand parkway would be the final straw in containing our sprawl, but that sure as he'll isn't going to happen (at least on the west and north sides). Especially with the Fulshear/Prarie parkway planned even further west.

[Ross]

Ugh.. Unfortunately. I was kind of hoping the grand parkway would be the final straw in containing our sprawl, but that sure as he'll isn't going to happen (at least on the west and north sides). Especially with the Fulshear/Prarie parkway planned even further west.

 

Why do you think you can control sprawl? Why would you want to?