Favorite Freeway (or Tollway)

[The Great Hizzy!]

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Weirdo!

For me, I'd have to say that I like the trenched portion of the West Sam Houston Tollway. I also think the 59 Eastex is a very solidly built road that's virtually hassle free. I also like the completed section of the new West Loop from Braeswood to Westpark. Very clean looking and provides awesome views of Uptown from the south.

[2112]

One of my favorite views of downtown, is when you are going northbound on 59 coming from the 288 area...as you take the "Dallas" (I45N) ramp....that view right there...downtown right in front of you for that 5 seconds as you curve left onto the pierce elevated. For some reason, downtown looks massive from that perspective. It's always better when youre not driving so you can enjoy that view.

but then again, I always like the view when going south

[Lowbrow]

but then again, I always like the view when going south

[N8TIV]

Definitely the Stretch on I45 Southbound from 610 to downtown...

The buildings seem to present themselves like they are posing for papparazi. It is a very balanced skyline setting, condensed together. I like how the Bank of America building sits oblique to southbound traffic. It is very impressive coming in town at night.

A lot of my out of town friends are always impressed with the view.

As for favorite drives.. Allen Parkway or Memorial Dr. either way.

Memorial park is almost 2 times larger than Central Park, NYC and is a very valuable asset for Houston to have a stretch of nature between two of the largest business districts in the country. I love it.

[HOUCAJUN]

Definitely the Stretch on I45 Southbound from 610 to downtown...

The buildings seem to present themselves like they are posing for papparazi.  It is a very balanced skyline setting, condensed together.  I like how the Bank of America building sits oblique to southbound traffic.  It is very impressive coming in town at night.

A lot of my out of town friends are always impressed with the view.

As for favorite drives..  Allen Parkway or Memorial Dr.  either way. 

Memorial park is almost 2 times larger than Central Park, NYC and is a very valuable asset for Houston to have a stretch of nature between two of the largest business districts in the country.  I love it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i like the same two views also. ialso can't wait for the buffalo bayou plan to be implemented in that strech you were talking about.

[Hunter]

Don't forget the Tunnel From/to Navigation turning into Franklin.

[DaTrain]

My favorite freeways are:

- Katy Freeway inside the Loop. Going east of West Loop it is a scenic drive from there past the zigzag railroad bridge. Moment I pass TC Jester and Durham/Shepard, downtown just jumps right at you!!

- Southwest Freeway between Spur 527 and Kirby. Up till 2000, this was just another freeway to me, but I like it now with the four arches of bridges over it. Gives Houston a piece of art to what was once another ugly freeway.

[ricco67]

I don't think we're talking about the same tunnel, Hunter. I think I drove by it several years ago and the entrance is quite obvious, but I don't recall it being backfilled.

As far as it being closed after the Navigation/Franklin tunnel, I'm not sure about that. I remember using it from the time I was about 8 or so.

Maybe I'll drive by it in a few days refresh my memory.

Ricco

[tony]

i like the same two views also. ialso can't wait for the buffalo bayou plan to be implemented in that strech you were talking about.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I like the view from the WLoop610S bridge over 59S looking north into the City Post Oak area. Looking east is nice too.

The Pierce elevated view looking south and west is interesting as well.

[CincoRanch-HoustonResident]

I love the Katy Freeway. You go in a trench east of 610. Your driving down it. Then you come out of the trench and, BAM!!!!, there is this huge skyline in your face.

[fewellman]

my favorite freeway is the westpark toll way. it is awsome i can get from hwy 6 to the Gallaria in like 10 min with no traffic at all. I like 59 from sugar land to down town because it is all developed and you get great views of the gallaria and you pass right by down town. and the view of down town going south on 45 is breathtaking. i really dont like 288 because it is so undeveloped and if you had never been to Houston you would think Houston sucked. or at least i would. but you do get a great view of the entire skyline.

[VelvetJ]

Hey, I know a couple of people have said they have seen a rendering or model of the finished West Loop; does anyone know if any landscaping is included, such as shrubs or trees of some sort?

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

I am amazed that noone really chose the West Loop, even if it is a bottleneck.

Here's a pic of the West Loop:

HoustonFreeways' website.

[Heights2Bastrop]

I choosed 290 because it's the one that takes me to Bastrop!

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

I suppose the Hardy is O.K... not any differant from I 10 as it goes through La Porte though.

[ssullivan]

I suppose the Hardy is O.K... not any differant from I 10 as it goes through La Porte though.

Interstate 10 doesn't go through La Porte.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

You are right, but isn't the monument in La Porte? I always thought it was right off of I 10, which of coarse didn't exist when it was built, but you get my drift...

[ssullivan]

The San Jacinto monument is closer to 225 than it is to 10 - and is technically in Deer Park (I think - if not it's in Pasadena). On the map you posted above it's at the north end of Hwy. 134. Anyway I know what you meant.

[fewellman]

the hardy toll road is the most boaring freeway in Houston there isnt any thing to look at while you are driving it is almost as bad as 290 where there are just freaking cows running around next to the freeway

[Gary]

Add an option for NONE, and then I'll vote.  The fact that there are 20 options to choose from ought to tell you that HOUSTON NEEDS MORE RAIL, NOT ROADS!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[UrbaNerd]

Various views from Houston's freeways:

[kjb434]

You need to get some new pics of the South Freeway (SH288) with all the new greenery. The median has been densely planted and in a few years will be absolutely beautiful.

[ssullivan]

Yeah that section of the 288 median will look great. Unfortunately the new plantings only extend for a short distance south of the interchange with 59. Maybe they'll eventually extend it the rest of the way to 610.

Of course once the HCTRA decides to go in there and build HOT lanes it will all be destroyed.

[Lowbrow]

Does that constitute a Green Belt for Houston??

I drive this stretch daily and have wondered the cross country skiing posibilities if it ever snowed. (more than 2 inches) Think theyde come arrest me?

I know during Allison I tried to talk my company into running a bay cable seismic boat up that corridor... I mean how many times do you have that opportunity?

[Perimeter285]

Hands down, US 59 Southwest Freeway between Kirby and Spur 527. How could anyone not agree? It's the one freeway with the most attention to aesthetics, and even though it's under construction, the part that is finished is awesome.

Honorable mentions to the West Belt through Memorial Bend and I-10 through the Heights. As you can tell, I like depressed freeways. So they flood a little every once in a while...get over it and build more of them in Houston!

This is the biggest disappointment with the West Loop reconstruction. There is no question that this should have been built as a depressed freeway.

[kjb434]

If you are willing to use tax payer money to pay for $8-$10 per cubic yard of dirt they'll have to haul off, then you can handle the public relations nightmare.

The dirt removal will reach into the millions of cubic yards. Depressed freeways are rare these days. The extension of US 59 being depressed with the construction of Spur 527 came at an additional cost of over $30 million. TxDOT didn't want to spend money on this, but the community pushed forward and got the changes made.

The central expressway in Dallas is beautiful through its depressed portions, but it was already depressed, they just had to widen it a bit. The cost wasn't enormous enough to stop them.

[Hunter]

The San Jacinto monument is closer to 225 than it is to 10 - and is technically in Deer Park (I think - if not it's in Pasadena). On the map you posted above it's at the north end of Hwy. 134. Anyway I know what you meant.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually the Momument is in La Porte but only by default. I do not know why but that area of land was deeded to the City of LA Porte years ago.

You are right, but isn't the monument in La Porte? I always thought it was right off of I 10, which of coarse didn't exist when it was built, but you get my drift...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can access the Momument from I-10 by crossing the ferry but as it stands now only State HWY 225, 146 and Spencer Hwy pass thruogh La Porte. Fairmont as well but that is not considered a hwy yet.

[Perimeter285]

If you are willing to use tax payer money to pay for $8-$10 per cubic yard of dirt they'll have to haul off, then you can handle the public relations nightmare.

The dirt removal will reach into the millions of cubic yards.  Depressed freeways are rare these days.  The extension of US 59 being depressed with the construction of Spur 527 came at an additional cost of over $30 million.  TxDOT didn't want to spend money on this, but the community pushed forward and got the changes made.

The central expressway in Dallas is beautiful through its depressed portions, but it  was already depressed, they just had to widen it a bit.  The cost wasn't enormous enough to stop them.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I find it hard to imagine that digging a trench costs significantly more that these overwroght, overengineered concrete nightmares that pass for freeways in Houston. You could be right, though.

And you hit on another point of mine: they do it all the time in DFW and lots of other Texas cities. Why is freeway design in Houston so clumsy in comparison? All I can think is that maybe they know something we don't as far as political influence in Austin.

[kjb434]

^^^

Figure this. The amount of concrete to build a depressed freeway is equal to or greater than an at grade freeway particularly in an urban area. If you watched the construction of the depressed portion of US 59, they had to reiforce all the soil with a cemem mixture to produce a solid wall. Later they come back with the pretty wall that is really just window dressing. On top of that, the same amount is needed for the pavement that would be used in the at grade concept.

Another big point is that San Antonio, Metroplex, Austin, and even El Paso have enough elevation change to make the draining of a depressed freeway not much of a challenge, but in Houston, pump stations are needed which runs into the millions to build and to maintain. Some sections of depressed freeways in Houston, such as I-10 do not use Pump stations because it has some release into the bayous, but problems still exist for intense rains that last about 6 hours. Tropical Storm Allison is no the only storm that has flooded the I-10 section from Shepherd to Washington. It has happend since then also although not to the same degree, but it was enough to leave cars stranded at the center of the freeway for a couple of hours. until the waters could recede.

I don't think Houston's freeways are that clumsy. Most of our Freeways are old. The new section were buillt before the beautification concepts of freeway building hit Texas. Newer freeway projects are addressing the aesthics, but community support is what really drives this. TxDOT has no incentive to make freeways beautiful, it is the communities input that brings this on. The new Katy Freeway will have over a 1000 new trees planted along with other plants along the corridor plus a sleek profile that man freeways don't have in this city.

Coalitions in this city are the ones who push for beatifying freeways before and after construction. I-45 north of downtown just recieved a huge planting of trees as did SH 288. TxDOT is willing to work with the community leaders to produce something they want. Politicians realize that stopping any of these projects is not an option, but compromise to please the community and to achieve TxDOT's goal.

DFW's central expressway had huge imput to place all of the architectural details it recieved such at the free standing columns and the crossover bridges.

[VelvetJ]

It's amazing how much more informed people in other cities are compared to Houstonians regarding what is done in our city.

kjb434, do you think if enough Houstonians made it known they were unhappy with the "unfinished rusted/rust pooring down the white girder" look, on most of our freeways, something would be done in terms of painting them or replacing them with concrete? Is TXdot responsible for that? Are Houstonians responsible for this look because we didn't speak up in the design process? I'm really being serious.