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Highway 290/West Loop/Katy Freeway Interchange


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Thats pretty much the plan if I remember correctly. It's a wise move imo and is probably something they learned after building the 610- I-10 interchange. The reason why 610 cutting through the Galleria is so congested is because of people getting off the loop trying to get onto the interchange. By separating that traffic from the rest it should reduce congestion immensely.

 

Now instead of NASCARing it across 5-6 lanes of traffic just to get to 610 or to the I-10 Interchange!! now you will be asked to make that decision before you even get off 290 and before you leave the north part of the loop!

 

EDIT: If you look closely the same will be done for those wanting to get from I-10 to 290! It's asking a lot for people to go flying around that ramp and then move across 5-6 lanes of traffic just to get over to 290. A skill not many are able to master lol and shouldn't be asked too. This bypass in both directions is incredibly smart and we might see this implemented in other interchanges that split off to multiple highways *cough 59, 45, and 288 interchanges cough*

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The only thing I see wrong with this plan is that it's not "complete" until they build the Hempstead Tollway, which is the only one that connects to the NW Transit Center, plus it cannibalizes Hempstead Road. I kind of hope that doesn't happen in a while, to be honest. I kinda like Hempstead Road.  :(

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They didn't pass that option of the plan. Instead they will do managed lanes like they have on the Katy Freeway. Honestly that's the best option it's pretty silly to branch out a tollway like that and essentially isolating a huge chunk of area between highway's. Not to mention Hempstead Hwy is still a very busy road and I'm quite sure the community would have revolted if it got turned into a toll road especially since it's a low income area.

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They didn't pass that option of the plan. Instead they will do managed lanes like they have on the Katy Freeway. Honestly that's the best option it's pretty silly to branch out a tollway like that and essentially isolating a huge chunk of area between highway's. Not to mention Hempstead Hwy is still a very busy road and I'm quite sure the community would have revolted if it got turned into a toll road especially since it's a low income area.

Good. I mean, to me, Hempstead Highway (along with OST) are representations of "old fashioned highways" complete with old motels in need of some restoration. It's one of the areas of Houston that I had never been on before and was happy to do so. As for the widening, that would sure make it nice to go on.

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shhhhhhhh.... be vewy, vewy quiet about Hempstead Highway.  Let's not let people know how to find it, so it can continue to be an escape valve:ph34r:

 

Instead, let's remind everybody that Hempstead Highway has stop lights on it.  Stop lights adjacent to (not really particularly) sketchy neighborhoods.   :doh:  You never know when a train will show up.   :doh:  There's nothing to see here.  Now get back on the Northwest Freeway and move along, move along.  That's righhhhhhht... there you go...

 

That is all.  (*static*)

 

(Edit:  my mom will no doubt be pleased that my theater no longer looks like it's one with an "X" on the marquee.)

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shhhhhhhh.... be vewy, vewy quiet about Hempstead Highway. Let's not let people know how to find it, so it can continue to be an escape valve. :ph34r:

Instead, let's remind everybody that Hempstead Highway has stop lights on it. Stop lights adjacent to (not really particularly) sketchy neighborhoods. :doh: You never know when a train will show up. :doh: There's nothing to see here. Now get back on the Northwest Freeway and move along, move along. That's righhhhhhht... there you go...

That is all. (*static*)

(Edit: my mom will no doubt be pleased that my theater no longer looks like it's one with an "X" on the marquee.)

Yeah and it's always full of traffic so don't even bother using it just stay on 290 you'd rather be in bumper to bumper traffic up there it's totally awful and congested and not empty down here on Hempstead Highway...trust me I wouldn't be the kind of person who hogs a little known traffic secret from my fellow Houstonians...

But seriously stay away. Hempstead is ours.

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  • 3 weeks later...

If you live more north of 290 then I suggest finding a way to get on TC Jester. You are flying going down that way :P. Hempstead Hwy is actually surprisingly quick at least in the morning commute. The evening though.....forget it. 

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If you live more north of 290 then I suggest finding a way to get on TC Jester. You are flying going down that way :P. Hempstead Hwy is actually surprisingly quick at least in the morning commute. The evening though.....forget it. 

 

Until you get to 610 and the awesomeness there.Northbound TC Jester at 610 is 3 cars per light, and two lights minimum to turn left. I have dreams of forcing a TxDOT manager to drive that area over and over for a month.

 

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  • 2 months later...

If you live more north of 290 then I suggest finding a way to get on TC Jester. You are flying going down that way :P. Hempstead Hwy is actually surprisingly quick at least in the morning commute. The evening though.....forget it. 

 

My love for Hempstead Highway dropped a notch when I had to make a sudden right lane change to avoid an 18 wheeler stopped in the inner lane to try to make a turn. In retrospect, it would've been a lot smarter to keep on the right (less turns there, after all), but I was still in "highway" mode, so to speak.

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It looks like those of us who continue south on 290 to the loop through the Galletia area are now squeezed down to one lane?? That's going to get ugly. . .

 

Wait, I thought the 290 ramp only went to Interstate 10 so that you wouldn't need to change over 3-4 lanes in heavy traffic in a short time. Since when does 290 go to the Galleria area?

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It looks like those of us who continue south on 290 to the loop through the Galletia area are now squeezed down to one lane?? That's going to get ugly. . .

 

Wait, I thought the 290 ramp only went to Interstate 10 so that you wouldn't need to change over 3-4 lanes in heavy traffic in a short time. Since when does 290 go to the Galleria area?

He said "290 to the loop "

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Currently 610 South after getting off of 290 it's 2 lanes. All 610 traffic that is coming from North 610 is now on two lanes (I believe) that are on a new portion of the highway. The interchange from 290 to I-10 is two lanes.

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The new ramp from 290 East to I 10 is awesome! It's worth going out of your way a bit just to try it out. From the exit point on 290 to where you join up with I 10 heading towards Downtown is a distance of three miles, almost all of it elevated. I'm not positive, but it may be the longest freeway exit in the country. There's a discussion on the transportation forum in Google groups (misc.transport.road), but none of the examples cited there are longer than two miles or so.

 

    

      

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http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/transportation/article/U-S-290-plans-change-to-single-managed-lane-5859418.php?cmpid=twitter-premium&t=842f3cee94

 

So this was dropped this morning. I actually like the redesign, but I don't understand why they can't do it like what they did for the Katy Freeway?!

 

I swear these people are completely inept...

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http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/transportation/article/U-S-290-plans-change-to-single-managed-lane-5859418.php?cmpid=twitter-premium&t=842f3cee94

 

So this was dropped this morning. I actually like the redesign, but I don't understand why they can't do it like what they did for the Katy Freeway?!

 

I swear these people are completely inept...

 

By ensuring a continued congested HOV/HOT lane, METRO and TxDOT will have a more vocal local incentive to initiate commuter rail service sooner rather than later.

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  • 1 month later...

Can we move to redesignate 290 as an Interstate now that it links up to two parents on either end? Some work would need to be done between Houston and Austin to bring the road to Interstate standard, but it would be useful to rebrand the highway as an Interstate.

 

IMO it would make more sense to upgrade SH 71 between Bergstrom Airport and Columbus to Interstate standard, and designate the corridor as a spur of I-10.

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IMO it would make more sense to upgrade SH 71 between Bergstrom Airport and Columbus to Interstate standard, and designate the corridor as a spur of I-10.

 

Since TxDOT seems gung-ho on suffixing every branch of I-69, why not have I-69D branch off downtown from I-69 and multiplex with I-10 to Columbus and along 71? :P

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