45 South- South Loop West

[sarahiki]

Can someone explain to me why I can't get from 610 south (heading east) to 45 north, or the reverse (45 south to 610 south loop heading west) without going through three traffic lights? Is there seriously no direct ramp here, or have I just missed something?

Plus, when I tried to follow the signs from the south loop to 45 north I actually got lost. The signs just end, and you're out there on feeder roads near Telephone Rd, with no clear way to get to 45 north.

[TheNiche]

Can someone explain to me why I can't get from 610 south (heading east) to 45 north, or the reverse (45 south to 610 south loop heading west) without going through three traffic lights? Is there seriously no direct ramp here, or have I just missed something?

Plus, when I tried to follow the signs from the south loop to 45 north I actually got lost. The signs just end, and you're out there on feeder roads near Telephone Rd, with no clear way to get to 45 north.

Freeway design is all about historical context. They'd never do it this way today, but at the time that that interchange was built, I-45 inside the loop fed the Gulf Freeway and SH 225. I-610 came into existence later and was considered something of an afterthought.

Even then, for a long time, it was considered unnecessary to provide those two ramps because the angle of I-45 relative to 610 is so acute. If you were headed in one of those rampless directions, you'd almost end up doubling back on yourself if there were a ramp for you to take. It is better to take Woodridge, Wayside, or even MLK/Spur 5, depending on your destination. I agree, though, that it is confusing.

[sarahiki]

Freeway design is all about historical context. They'd never do it this way today, but at the time that that interchange was built, I-45 inside the loop fed the Gulf Freeway and SH 225. I-610 came into existence later and was considered something of an afterthought.

Even then, for a long time, it was considered unnecessary to provide those two ramps because the angle of I-45 relative to 610 is so acute. If you were headed in one of those rampless directions, you'd almost end up doubling back on yourself if there were a ramp for you to take. It is better to take Woodridge, Wayside, or even MLK/Spur 5, depending on your destination. I agree, though, that it is confusing.

Hm, I will check out those other routes you mentioned. This is going to be my regular commute, so I've got to figure something out.

[Dan the Man]

I hate that interchange. I accidentally took Reveille back to 45 one time when coming back from Hobby. There's a forced-merge entrance ramp that dumps you into the fast lane of 45. Scary.

[crunchtastic]

Hm, I will check out those other routes you mentioned. This is going to be my regular commute, so I've got to figure something out.

Are you doing standard drive time? If so Woodridge is a snap in the mornings. PITA in the evening with the shopping center traffic, but then so is 45 right before and after 610, so you'll hit traffic regardless. I can't speak for MLK in the mornings, but in the evening, anything that gets you off 45 will generally speed things up.

[MaxConcrete]

Can someone explain to me why I can't get from 610 south (heading east) to 45 north, or the reverse (45 south to 610 south loop heading west) without going through three traffic lights?

The usual reason for the omission of ramps is that the traffic movements are low-volume and can't justify the ramps. Funding limitations could also be a reason.

The good news is that plans are in the works to add the missing connection ramps.

http://dot.state.tx.us/project_information.../ih45_ih610.htm

[TheNiche]

Are you doing standard drive time? If so Woodridge is a snap in the mornings. PITA in the evening with the shopping center traffic, but then so is 45 right before and after 610, so you'll hit traffic regardless. I can't speak for MLK in the mornings, but in the evening, anything that gets you off 45 will generally speed things up.

I can. I know a guy who commutes to the East End from Bellaire and takes 610 to MLK, and then Spur 5 to Lockwood. He says it saves him a lot of time over trying to take the freeways through downtown.

The appropriate option all depends on where you're trying to go, though.

[GovernorAggie]

Can someone explain to me why I can't get from 610 south (heading east) to 45 north, or the reverse (45 south to 610 south loop heading west) without going through three traffic lights? Is there seriously no direct ramp here, or have I just missed something?

Plus, when I tried to follow the signs from the south loop to 45 north I actually got lost. The signs just end, and you're out there on feeder roads near Telephone Rd, with no clear way to get to 45 north.

Ah yes. I like to affectionately call this one the "Frankenchange"! BwAhAhAhAhAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

Dumping into the fast lane of 45 can actually be really scary.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

I can. I know a guy who commutes to the East End from Bellaire and takes 610 to MLK, and then Spur 5 to Lockwood. He says it saves him a lot of time over trying to take the freeways through downtown.

The appropriate option all depends on where you're trying to go, though.

Back when I had time to work out, it typically took me about 5 minutes to get from the South Loop to UH via MLK. This was in the evenings on the way home from work, around 8pm.

By the way, Niche's friend's route down MLK to Lockwood is about a mile shorter than taking 288 to 45 to Lockwood, and about 2.5 miles shorter than taking the South Loop to 45 to Lockwood. Shorter distance, and much less frustrating drive at rush hour. You're probably moving as fast, or faster, on MLK than on the Gulf Freeway during rush hour.

[JLWM8609]

Ah yes. I like to affectionately call this one the "Frankenchange"! BwAhAhAhAhAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

Dumping into the fast lane of 45 can actually be really scary.

Frankenchange indeed! Every section of that interchange hails from a different decade. The 45 NB mainlane bridges are from the 50s, the current 45 SB bridges are from the 70s and 90s, the 45 SB to 610 EB ramp is actually the old original 45 SB mainlanes from the 50s, the 610 bridges are from the 70s, the ramps from 610 EB to 45 SB are from the 70s, the ramps from 45 NB to 610 are from the 70s, the Reveille overpass is from the 50s, and the HOV sections are from the 80s.

[Subdude]

Freeway design is all about historical context. They'd never do it this way today, but at the time that that interchange was built, I-45 inside the loop fed the Gulf Freeway and SH 225. I-610 came into existence later and was considered something of an afterthought.

Even then, for a long time, it was considered unnecessary to provide those two ramps because the angle of I-45 relative to 610 is so acute. If you were headed in one of those rampless directions, you'd almost end up doubling back on yourself if there were a ramp for you to take. It is better to take Woodridge, Wayside, or even MLK/Spur 5, depending on your destination. I agree, though, that it is confusing.

I don't have my Houston Freeways book handy, but I don't think the Loop was an "afterthought". If I'm not mistaken it was originally planned in the 1940s. Where are you getting the story about it being considered unnecessary because of the acute angle? I suspect the real reason was that they didn't want to pay for the right of way that would have been necessary to create ramps with allowable freeway curvature at an acute intersection.

[ToryGattis]

You might try using the U-turn at Broadway (after exiting off 610eb). A little distance, but should be fast.

[musicman]

Plus, when I tried to follow the signs from the south loop to 45 north I actually got lost. The signs just end, and you're out there on feeder roads near Telephone Rd, with no clear way to get to 45 north.

the south loop feeder entrance to 45 is the same as reveille's entrance. i usually get off at telephone, then do plum creek, flowers to the 45south feeder then uturn at woodridge. also broad will take you all the way through from 610 to 45south.

[TheNiche]

I don't have my Houston Freeways book handy, but I don't think the Loop was an "afterthought". If I'm not mistaken it was originally planned in the 1940s. Where are you getting the story about it being considered unnecessary because of the acute angle? I suspect the real reason was that they didn't want to pay for the right of way that would have been necessary to create ramps with allowable freeway curvature at an acute intersection.

"Afterthought" was the wrong word. It's just a matter of the priorities of the time, is what I was trying to get at.

I can assure you that the decision about the ramps had more to do with hard costs than with land costs, especially weighed against the minimal traffic that would use such a ramp in light of that there are better ways to go those directions between most origins and destinations.

[77006]

Ah yes. I like to affectionately call this one the "Frankenchange"! BwAhAhAhAhAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

Dumping into the fast lane of 45 can actually be really scary.

I've never noticed that this interchange is missing some direct connect ramps.

I know before I moved here in November a friend of mine came with me to apartment shop. We were downtown and on a ramp to enter 45NB I believe, when we realized that the lane just merges with another. We were both screaming as we nearly sideswiped a semi.

I've come to find a few of these, specifically the one by 610 that dumps you into the fast lane of 45NB (Gulf Fwy). I've never been so scared to drive in my life until I moved here. The trip apartment shopping opened my eyes and I got a place in midtown close to work until I get to know the city better.

[JLWM8609]

I've never noticed that this interchange is missing some direct connect ramps.

I know before I moved here in November a friend of mine came with me to apartment shop. We were downtown and on a ramp to enter 45NB I believe, when we realized that the lane just merges with another. We were both screaming as we nearly sideswiped a semi.

I've come to find a few of these, specifically the one by 610 that dumps you into the fast lane of 45NB (Gulf Fwy). I've never been so scared to drive in my life until I moved here. The trip apartment shopping opened my eyes and I got a place in midtown close to work until I get to know the city better.

That's 1940s era freeway engineering for ya! Left lane entrance ramps with non existent acceleration lanes were no big deal back then. Now, you'll be hard pressed to find any new build freeway with a left lane entry or exit ramp, as that trend died out around the early 1960s. The only newish (2004) freeway ramp built like that is the ramp from the Sam Houston Tollway SB to the Westpark Tollway EB.