ssullivan Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 The new southbound lanes of US 59 between Fannin and Mandell are officially open! I drove it tonight, and it was a great improvement over the traffic jam that has existed in that location for the last few years.It still looks like it will be a few weeks, or maybe a month or two, before all of the northbound lanes are open. But it is nice to see this major project nearing completion, well ahead of schedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 That's good. Another five minutes can be subtracted from my commute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 Oh, joy!! Oh, heaven!!I hope the ivy comes in healthy by this time next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Timmy Chan's Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 That's good. Another five minutes can be subtracted from my commute.Yeah, same here. Actually, I'm not sure I even spent five minutes in the 59 traffic jam in the mornings...maybe a couple minutes. I get on southbound 59 from 288 in the mornings and was shocked to see a handful of cars on the road, all going 70 mph through that stretch by the Fannin exit. What will be great is when the northbound/inbound lanes are done. I get stuck in that traffic sometimes even when I leave work at 7:30 pm or 8:00 pm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stolitx Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 Yeah, same here. Actually, I'm not sure I even spent five minutes in the 59 traffic jam in the mornings...maybe a couple minutes. I get on southbound 59 from 288 in the mornings and was shocked to see a handful of cars on the road, all going 70 mph through that stretch by the Fannin exit. What will be great is when the northbound/inbound lanes are done. I get stuck in that traffic sometimes even when I leave work at 7:30 pm or 8:00 pm.It's amazing how great it is. I can't believe this project is running that far ahead of schedule. I ride 59 to and from 45 everyday. I'll be so glad when the inbound is done. It doesn't matter if I leave work at 4:30 or after 6:30 it's a mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midtown 4.2 Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 I like the new design, the plantings, the bridges, the lighting and signposts . . . but I have one major complaint. The Milam street on-ramp is a deathtrap! How in the world did this design get approved? The Jersey barrier is so high, that you can't see on-coming traffic (and they can't see you either); and the distance allowed for merging is too short! You either have to floor the gas and hope the coast is clear, or slow down to a crawl and risk getting rear-ended. This is horrible. I'm fairly mild-mannered, but stupidity like this absolutely bugs the hell out of me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted March 16, 2006 Author Share Posted March 16, 2006 I drove the outbound Spur 527 last night for the first time, and I can't believe how TxDOT designed that new section of freeway. There are hardly any shoulders on either side of the highway, and the merging lanes at the Milam and Richmond entrances are a joke! I noticed the speed limit is now posted at 35 MPH and I can see why. I am really surprised that they didn't do a better job of designing this piece of the new freeway, but I guess with the need to accomodate the new HOV lane in the existing right of way there was just not enough room for wide shoulders and merging lanes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 ^^^Is 527 completely open? The lack shoulders should just be a construction configuration until it is complete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted March 18, 2006 Author Share Posted March 18, 2006 The outbound lanes are completely open. It's not just a construction configuration. The lanes are permanently marked, and the concrete barriers between the main lands and HOV (not open yet) are not the moveable type. They were poured in place and are permanently positioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 I like the new design, the plantings, the bridges, the lighting and signposts . . . but I have one major complaint. The Milam street on-ramp is a deathtrap! How in the world did this design get approved? The Jersey barrier is so high, that you can't see on-coming traffic (and they can't see you either); and the distance allowed for merging is too short! You either have to floor the gas and hope the coast is clear, or slow down to a crawl and risk getting rear-ended. This is horrible. I'm fairly mild-mannered, but stupidity like this absolutely bugs the hell out of me.The only appropriate signage for this intersection is a picture of Princess Diana captioned "See ya soon!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 The only appropriate signage for this intersection is a picture of Princess Diana captioned "See ya soon!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 http://www.khou.com/sharedcontent/VideoPla...=56509&catId=35genius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hokieone Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 I like how the project engineer says that the problem is the drivers. Uh, what? very surprising that he would say its not his fault. Then he says that the Spur is 35 mph. That's good and all, but merging at 35 mph when people are going 70 is usually not a good idea. That's not the only merge that is awful, the one from Allen parkway to I-45 South is the same thing and is just as awful. And then I always love the I-45 north merge where those two lanes just suddenly are one. Those at least are old ones though, you would think with all the wait for Spur 527 to open they could have designed it a little better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnu Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 I like how the project engineer says that the problem is the drivers. Uh, what? very surprising that he would say its not his fault. Then he says that the Spur is 35 mph. That's good and all, but merging at 35 mph when people are going 70 is usually not a good idea. That's not the only merge that is awful, the one from Allen parkway to I-45 South is the same thing and is just as awful. And then I always love the I-45 north merge where those two lanes just suddenly are one. Those at least are old ones though, you would think with all the wait for Spur 527 to open they could have designed it a little better. since we are listing awful entrances...how about the SH35/Reveille entrance ramp straight into the fast lane of the NB Gulf Freeway! Sweet. It really gives my a rush and my car a workout trying to beat 18 wheelers before they plow into my backend! actually it seems most vehicles on the gulf frwy anticipate the people merging - so most of the time it isnt really too bad...as long as you don't get someone in front of you who gets scared and stops on the ramp!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 When do they get the northbound lanes set up? It's strange how one can fly through the southbound side and get stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. It doesn't take more than five-to-ten minutes to get through there unless traffic is backed up to Buffalor Speedway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desirous Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Speaking of traffic, why is southbound 59 always jammed dead between Greenbriar and 610, and suddenly clear up after 610? It's an eternal mystery to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Because the 610/59 interchange is still a mess. It's one of the busiest in the nation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CE_ugh Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Speaking of traffic, why is southbound 59 always jammed dead between Greenbriar and 610, and suddenly clear up after 610? It's an eternal mystery to me.What time of day are you talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desirous Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 What time of day are you talking about? Evening commute. It would not perplex me, except that the congestion mysteriously dissipates once past loop 610. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double L Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 WOAH!!!!!!!!!!! Spur 527 is seriously allready completed!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Evening commute. It would not perplex me, except that the congestion mysteriously dissipates once past loop 610. That's not mysterious. The congestion is caused by cars weaving over to the right to enter 610. Then there are also the cars weaving over to the left to get off of it. The volume is so great that once you're past that congestion dissipates. This isn't for very long because the Westpark curve is one of the major bottlenecks on that freeway. This is due to the close proximity of entrance and exit ramps from Chimney Rock, Hillcroft, and Westpark. The new tollway also worsens this (especially on the northbound side) because drivers have to switch lanes quickly so they do not get thrown off to Chimney Rock. This is another one of those Princess Diana designs we have here in Houston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desirous Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 The new tollway also worsens this (especially on the northbound side) because drivers have to switch lanes quickly so they do not get thrown off to Chimney Rock. This is another one of those Princess Diana designs we have here in Houston. Naw, it can't be that bad. You might scrape someone's mirror off, but that should be it. Good call about the weaving. Now that I think of it, that is the greatest cause of congestion at interchanges; and looking at the I-10/610 schematic, apparently they learned from past error and fixed the need to weave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fierce Pancake Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 Seen a blurb on the TV today that both directions of Spur 527 are finally open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 Today I notied that the section of 59 S. that runs by the GRB was wide open with no traffic. For the last two years it had been grid-lock, even on Fridays.Is this due to the new lanes and Spur now beging open?If so, that's great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas911 Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3749709.htmlSo how many hundreds of children were run over by people using Alabama and Richmond as an alternate to the Spur during construction?Remember when they first were going to close down the Spur, all those idiot residents wanted to block the project because they claimed the increased traffic would kill people in their neighborhoods? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 Norm Wigington Anyway. You hear about all the closures on the news, but never about the new "openings" and how to deal with them.Just wait until the Katy is "finished". It'll proably run slower when done than it does now.TxDOT says it will also add a "merging traffic ahead" sign.That should help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 I'm flabbergasted by how dumb the average driver is. Not just in Houston, but everywhere. It's amazing. You wonder how we keep from blowing ourselves up.A merging lane is probably among the Top 5 causes of freeway traffic in Houston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 This morning I went to the leftmost lane after the exit for the HOV lane and realized I was on the wrong side. The two leftmost lanes went to the spur while the two rightmost lanes were the ones to get on. I moved over as soon as I saw those orange signs on the bridges, but a lot of drivers just kept going on until they got to the concrete barrier where the road forks off. It was quite a hassel and I just didn't feel like letting people in who didn't pay attention to all three or four times they passed the posted signs. From now on I'm staying all the way to the right because once you get stuck in that lane where people are mergin, you can't move out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas911 Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Now that the spur is open, idiot drivers will use those two left lanes as a way to zoom all the way to the front of the back up then, cut in line at the front where it turns off from 59. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Timmy Chan's Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 On my drive out to work this morning, I noticed that inbound traffic on 59 was better than I'd seen in a looooooong time. Traffic was backed up no further than Shepherd or Kirby. Before the spur opened, it was backed up to Buffalo Speedway or Edloe...although I'd seen it back all the way up past Hillcroft on occasion!Now, was the improvement because people knew what to expect this morning, or did everyone avoid 59 today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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