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Tin Roof Ridged Concrete On Overpasses


IronTiger

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In Hearne, Texas, there's a rather unusual overpass that has this unusual ridged concrete instead of the smooth concrete you see in overpasses.

The reason I bring it up here is because my dad says that was a way in Houston they were building overpasses at the time (apparently, the ridges were created by sliding tin roof pieces down the side). He did live in Houston at a time (the Heights, as you may have heard), so that would indicate that it was perhaps Interstate 10 or 610, which almost certainly have that style with them today, but I'm wondering where specifically they might be (if any survive). These would've been made in the 1960s.

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I believe many along the North Freeway in the early 1960's were that way too. I especially remember the one at Wt. Mt. Houston (FM 149 at the time) was like that. That overpass did not even exist in 1959, as indicated in an aerial view somewhere else in this forum, but must have been built shortly there after.

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I believe many along the North Freeway in the early 1960's were that way too. I especially remember the one at Wt. Mt. Houston (FM 149 at the time) was like that. That overpass did not even exist in 1959, as indicated in an aerial view somewhere else in this forum, but must have been built shortly there after.

Yes, my fear was that most of them have been scrubbed, which could've occurred to a road widening, or more commonly, a highway widening. My new avatar references the widening of the Northwest Freeway, which is in the process of rebuilding most of its interchanges (Beltway 8, Little York Road). My new avatar refers to the Wendy's at Northwest Freeway and Beltway 8...

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Also, the overpasses over the Gulf Freeway at El Dorado, Bay Area Blvd., and the Gulf Freeway overpass at FM 2351 all have the ridged concrete. See them while you can, though. The freeway is being widened in that location.

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Still, I wonder why they were finished that way. I don't believe it was to deter skateboarders. That form of recreation wasn't so popular and widespread then. Perhaps it was to control drainage of rainwater that fell on those surfaces but that doesn't see to be necessary. My final guess is that it was just an expedient way to finish the concrete. Can you imagine traditional troweling on a large sloped surface like those?

 

My late uncle worked for TxDOT for many years starting in the early 1950's up to the early 90's I believe. He certainly would have know the reason for the corrugated surface but, alas, he can't tell us now. 

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  • The title was changed to Tin Roof Ridged Concrete On Overpasses

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