JLWM8609

I tried out the new lanes today. I went outbound from the start at Southmore to Magnolia Parkway in Pearland. Inbound from FM518 to Holcombe. I know one of the main objectives of this project was access to the Medical Center, but it would've been helpful to have an exit from the northbound toll lanes to the northbound mainlanes somewhere between 610 and Holcombe so toll lane users can easily access the N./S. MacGregor, Calumet/Binz and Southmore exits. Otherwise you have to exit at Holcombe and use Almeda to get to those streets, or take the exit to the mainlanes near I-69/US 59 and hop off at Chenevert and hop back southbound via Jackson. I guess part of the reason for no exit to the mainlanes there is to take those vehicles that would normally use MacGregor to access the Medical Center and put them on Holcombe instead?

Postmodern downtown building lighting reached its peak in the 1990s. I remember when Heritage Plaza had more neon. I think the pyramid portion was outlined in neon at one point, but I can't find pictures. Wedge International was decked out with green neon edges. In the late 90s, things became dimmer. Lots of red anti-collision lights at night but not much in terms of more decorative lighting.

The Southmore bridge finally opened up today. Photo taken by me.

Here's my proposal. Fill in the slip lanes, get rid of the island in the middle for a traffic light and mount them at the corners with long mast arms, and realign/extend sidewalks as needed.

Rodney Ellis is an avid cyclist and supporter of the local bike trails. Contact his office too even though it's not in his precinct. Maybe he can influence Judge Hidalgo to send some funds toward bridge replacement. Also, if HCFCD is doing any work on that channel, it may have been due for replacement in the future.

Anyone know when the Southmore overpass is reopening? I thought its opening would be imminent back in August. It's been looking ready to go with street lights, traffic lights and all installed since late August. 

From a 1969 CBS presentation about automobile technology of the then future. Houston is all throughout. Go to 9:29 and you'll see Memorial Dr. with the Sawyer St. ramp and former Holiday Inn/2100 Memorial Senior Living High Rise under construction. 16:05 you'll see I-45 between Allen Parkway and Dallas, followed by some aerial views of Downtown. The initial shots at the beginning look like they might be the Gulf Freeway.

What manufacturer dealership did that old building used to be? White/GMC? International Harvester?

4 hours ago, H-Town Man said:

 

You can't really see UHD in this. Off to the right. 

 

No wonder I was confused! That must be the jail.

1 hour ago, H-Town Man said:

 

Shrug. I guess the Riverwalk in San Antonio is an example of where close commercial development makes the experience more interesting. I liked the original vision in the 2002 Master Plan where everything north of Commerce would be cleared out and you'd have a "Commerce Street Promenade," but that isn't likely to happen anytime soon.

 

That rendering is really throwing me off. The area around UHD looks like it's reversed like it's mirrored, but then Minute Maid Park is in the right place. My head hurts! 😄

1 hour ago, Triton said:

lol This angle reminds me when I used to play Simcity 4 and you had these small people with signs protesting against big city items.

I can hear the chanting in Simlish!

2 hours ago, Tumbleweed_Tx said:

your inspection sticker expires today 

Thanks for the reminder! 

I noticed this last week. Unless that braided ramp on 610 is going to have a steep drop off, that sign assembly looks too short. The braided ramp project is separate from the 288 project so maybe the 288 project didn't take that into consideration. 

On 8/3/2020 at 10:57 PM, cspwal said:

According to that Chronicle article, it should open "soon" but there's a separate pedestrian bridge that won't be open - so if you want to walk across the freeway tough luck

The Southmore bridge opening looks imminent. Traffic lights have been installed but not powered up. Tonight as I was driving past, I could see all the street lamps on the bridge and at the intersections were all illuminated. As far as walking across, I saw some of those orange, water filled jersey type moveable barriers to create temporary sidewalks on the road bridge while the pedestrian bridges are under construction.

On 8/28/2020 at 8:16 PM, Highrise Tower said:

 

That is Williams Brothers Construction. Apart of the concrete division, believe it's a crushed concrete yard.

 

Looks like Kirby will extend in the future.  Have to buy out WB of course.  Kirby goes through their property.

 

2012 Major Thoroughfare and Freeway Plan  Amendment Request.

http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/DevelopRegs/mobility/MTFP_12/PCAction/02_Kirby_PCAction.pdf

 

 

 

That curve to join/become Reed Rd. is interesting. It looks like there's ROW saved from Reed southward next to the HLSR lot for Kirby to link up with the disjointed sections inside the Beltway and eventually link up to the section in Pearland.

5 hours ago, Big E said:

 

Thus, the push for another "freeway removal" which isn't a removal at all but simply moving the freeway a few miles away.

Yes. At the end of the day, this is a freeway relocation. We know TxDOT and drivers wouldn't get with actual removal of the freeway, but this looks like a removal to the layman, so they're ok with it. 

17 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

 

Wouldn't the reverse be a below-grade capped freeway, with plans by other entities to develop green space on top?  In that case, one can imagine certain people complaining that the "rich"  side of town gets everything while the "poor" side gets nothing.

Nah. If the area is the poor side, they get the double decker elevated freeway with some colorful bridge columns thrown in.

22 hours ago, Big E said:

 

I mean what would you rather they do? Try to tunnel the whole freeway? 

Or rebuild the Pierce Elevated where it is.

I imagine in an alternate universe where the fortunes of Midtown and the East End are reversed, TxDOT is planning a double decked and cantilevered Pierce Elevated to carry 59/69 around downtown and along I-10 to reconnect the East End to Downtown. 

Southerly Houston Innovation Tract

4 hours ago, HOU_huckster said:

Have we chosen a name yet for this area of Midtown? I miss the days of Swamplot. 

 

I'll start.

 

SoMid--that's South Midtown. Or SoMid(dle of the road and uninspired and full of transients that are being heralded as the new urbane Houstonians but stay less than a year and have trash tastes)

It'sstillpartofgreater3rdwardyouyuppiescum has a nice ring to it!

4 hours ago, cspwal said:

As a bridge or as a site to do sick jumps?

Why not both? Don't let that guardrail hold you back!

On 5/30/2020 at 7:18 PM, wilcal said:

 

I asked Houston TxDOT about it on Twitter awhile back, and they said that it wasn't their bridge.

 

That is odd. I thought any bridge crossing a TxDOT maintained road was maintained by TxDOT?

On 5/4/2020 at 3:02 PM, JLWM8609 said:

I can't tell from the schematic, but are they extending the current Almeda overpass structure, or constructing an all new overpass structure over Almeda and Cambridge?

I got my own answer today. I saw them demolishing the WB overpass.