Funny Freeway, Road Or Street Sights

[mblaise]

I grew up in Houston and remember some interesting things from my youth. One of the funniest to me was at the interchange of Interstate 10 at US 59 north of downtown, as that interchange was being built in the early and mid 60s. The way I remember it was that US 59 was completed, but not nearly as wide as today - it was only like two maybe three lanes wide. Interstate 10 ran to the west but only for about 1/4 mile - like the interchange led you into the freeway, but then almost right away to the service road as the main lanes were either proposed or under construction. Here's what I thought was funny - all the "pieces" of Interstate 10 to the east ended with a dead end barricade. There was like four or five barricades in a row on little short pieces of roads. As a young kid I wondered why the pavement kept going on the main lanes and all the future exits but then ended with barricades. I think some of the barricades ended like a few yards from Jensen. Why didn't the service road or exit just go ahead and go to Jensen? -- The other funny thing was a really strange exit at IH 610 and 10 near Memorial Park. The exit went to the left and to Old Katy Road. Then you took Old Katy as US 90 to Washington Avenue. Anyone have any other memories of funny road or weird road situations? thanks

[JLWM8609]

I remember up until around 2001, Fannin was still in its original two lane rural configuration south of 610. Sometimes, I'd go with my mom to the Sam's right there at 610 and Fannin, and we'd go down Fannin, and the transition from 6 lane boulevard to two lane road was not smooth. The traffic light installation was configured as if a 6 lane boulevard existed further south. There were two traffic lights over a barracade where the future southbound Fannin would be built mounted on a mast arm, and a left turn signal for the southbound Fannin traffic was mounted on the side of the mast arm used to mount the signals for the feeder road. Even though all those signals were there, you could only follow the left turn signal cause a left was all you can make. So, if you wanted to continue down Fannin, you had to make the left, then make a HARD right. I used to wonder when I was little whenever making that manuever "where's the rest of the street? Why are those extra lights there?" lol.