When will we get an extra lane on I-10 west?

[HedwigTramp]

Throw us a bone TXDOT!!

There are all these lanes on I-10 between the west loop and the beltway, striped and ready for traffic, but I have heard nothing about opening them up to traffic. Why not give us a couple of the lanes to reduce the awful traffic.

Do we have to wait until the end of the project?

PLEASE!!!!!!

[Gary]

Throw us a bone TXDOT!!

There are all these lanes on I-10 between the west loop and the beltway, striped and ready for traffic, but I have heard nothing about opening them up to traffic. Why not give us a couple of the lanes to reduce the awful traffic.

Do we have to wait until the end of the project?

PLEASE!!!!!!

But what about all the traffic?

[andyzipp]

Throw us a bone TXDOT!!

There are all these lanes on I-10 between the west loop and the beltway, striped and ready for traffic, but I have heard nothing about opening them up to traffic. Why not give us a couple of the lanes to reduce the awful traffic.

Do we have to wait until the end of the project?

PLEASE!!!!!!

If I'm reading Katyfreeway.org correctly, the westbound lanes will be in their final configuration 8/1 after 5pm. So it would stand to reason that the east bound lanes will be opened before that.

[andyzipp]

If I'm reading Katyfreeway.org correctly, the westbound lanes will be in their final configuration 8/1 after 5pm. So it would stand to reason that the east bound lanes will be opened before that.

The eastbound lanes will be in "almost" their final configuration on the 13th.

[musicman]

article

[desirous]

The newly opened eastbound lanes are splendid. You get a WHOLE LOT of lanes all of a sudden before 610. I noticed they added an extra lane at the last minute: schematics show 7 eastbound lanes, 3 through lanes and 3 exit lanes with one split. Now there are 4 through lanes and 4 exit lanes. I wonder what caused the change of mind; the leftmost exit lane to northbound 610 is a wee squashed.

Edited July 13, 2008 by desirous

[editor]

The stripe situation was announced on the construction list at HAIF:traffic

[cottonmather0]

Drove on it last night and again this afternoon. Gotta say it is indeed a nice piece of road - it reminded me of an old episode of Seinfeld where Kramer went out to some road and repainted all of the stripes to make the lanes bigger and then referred to it as a, "Double Wide Comfort Cruise!"

Edited July 14, 2008 by cottonmather0

[JLWM8609]

The newly opened eastbound lanes are splendid. You get a WHOLE LOT of lanes all of a sudden before 610. I noticed they added an extra lane at the last minute: schematics show 7 eastbound lanes, 3 through lanes and 3 exit lanes with one split. Now there are 4 through lanes and 4 exit lanes. I wonder what caused the change of mind; the leftmost exit lane to northbound 610 is a wee squashed.

[RedScare]

Alright, the rubber lane dividers are back! Anyone remember the rubber posts on the North Freeway contraflow lane in the 1980s?

http://www.eng.mu.edu/~drakopoa/courses/17.../contraflow.jpg

(sorry, it won't allow me to post the photo)

Remember the big truck full of those rubber sticks that would drive slowly up the freeway with the dude in the back at ground level sticking them in the holes in the roadway? At the end of rush hour, the process reversed, with the dude picking up the sticks.

[CDeb]

Remember the big truck full of those rubber sticks that would drive slowly up the freeway with the dude in the back at ground level sticking them in the holes in the roadway? At the end of rush hour, the process reversed, with the dude picking up the sticks.

There are some photos of this in MaxConcrete's book:

www.houstonfreeways.com

[JLWM8609]

So was there any neglible difference in inbound commute times this morning thanks to the new mainlanes?

[pestofan]

Beautiful!

[desirous]

So was there any neglible difference in inbound commute times this morning thanks to the new mainlanes?

Oh yeah. The Blalock-610 eastbound segment stayed green on Transtar.

[Trae]

I went to The Galleria today, and for the first time, used I-10 in a long time. I must say, that new segment is kind of nice. Still wish rail was there, but the freeway was wide.

[CoolBuddy06]

So was there any neglible difference in inbound commute times this morning thanks to the new mainlanes?

Wow! You must hate TXDoT a lot. There is tangible difference though. I drove on it at 730 this morning, like I've had to do for the past 5 Mondays. The road is wide, the ramps makes for easy and fast ingress and egress. I don't see that freeway clogging up in forseeable future if more offices move to energy corridor (stimulating some reverse flow traffic) and more people use mass transit.

[Trae]

Beautiful!

Concrete sure is beautiful.

[CDeb]

Concrete sure is beautiful.

When it's not clogged with cars, it sure is.

[JLWM8609]

Wow! You must hate TXDoT a lot. There is tangible difference though. I drove on it at 730 this morning, like I've had to do for the past 5 Mondays. The road is wide, the ramps makes for easy and fast ingress and egress. I don't see that freeway clogging up in forseeable future if more offices move to energy corridor (stimulating some reverse flow traffic) and more people use mass transit.

Nah, I don't hate them, I just don't get too hyped up over such projects much anymore. I've been disappointed in the past before about "improvments" that didn't improve much. I'm glad to hear there was a tangible difference.

[HedwigTramp]

Oh yeah. The Blalock-610 eastbound segment stayed green on Transtar.

I enter I10 at Blalock!!

But I still have to go home.

It made a huge difference.

[amadeuz]

I don't think the original question was ever answered. When will the WESTbound lanes of I-10 be open? Eastbound lanes are already in final config. At the moment, I think I-10 heading away (westbound) from downtown is worse than heading into downtown (eastbound) in the morning. As a reverse commuter this kills me (Inner Loop to Energy Corridor).

BTW, the northbound and southbound ramps to BW8 from I-10 eastbound are now open. Finally.

[desirous]

Within a couple weeks, by the looks of it.

[HedwigTramp]

Within a couple weeks, by the looks of it.

I don't think so. Looks like it will get worse before it gets better. "The closing of the Katy Freeway High Occupancy Vehicle lane will be postponed until Sept. 1, the Texas Department of Transportation announced today."

"During September and October, McWashington said, workers will demolish the HOV and complete the new westbound main lanes. They will also install tolling equipment in the four managed lanes in the middle of the freeway, which will be used by Metro buses but not carpools during this period."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/5955843.html

[desirous]

That's a bummer. It sure doesn't look like two months' worth of work. Phrasing may be key here -- I'm 99% certain the westbound mainlanes will open before the new HOV facility.

[amadeuz]

That's a bummer. It sure doesn't look like two months' worth of work. Phrasing may be key here -- I'm 99% certain the westbound mainlanes will open before the new HOV facility.

I noticed some westbound lanes right before beltway 8 have been opened. Now we just need the westbound lanes right after 610 open! Slowly getting there.

[Justin]

I drove out to Katy and back on it for the first time since they started opening all that up this afternoon. I like it.

[Highrise Tower]

I just heard I-10 East off 610 just opened up!

So now both sides of I-10 are open? (by 610. Wirt, Chimney Rock, Voss, Bingle, Campbell, Blalock, Genser and so on)

I could drive it, during lunch hour. This will be SO awesome!

Edited October 13, 2008 by ekdrm2d1

[HedwigTramp]

THERE IS A SANTA CLAUSE!!!!!!!!!!

YEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!....

I-10 West is now one of the least congested freeways in Houston during rush hour (at least to Beltway 8).

Today, I left the center of downtown at about 4:50pm and exited at Blalock at about 5:05pm.

I kept my speed below 65, but I could have easily gone 70+ without danger.

There are lanes everywhere, and they reinstated the HOV lane for car poolers (but they probably got stuck behind a bus that was only going 55.

I know today was Columbus day, but there are TWICE as many lanes available.

Now if they can just correct the recent backlog (post IKE) where I-10 headed east merges with I-45 and the downtown exit

Ahhhhhhhh.....

A happy camper!

I just heard I-10 East off 610 just opened up!

So now both sides of I-10 are open? (by 610. Wirt, Chimney Rock, Voss, Bingle, Campbell, Blalock, Genser and so on)

I could drive it, during lunch hour. This will be SO awesome!

[Highrise Tower]

Sweet!

Yeah, my friend said when he went home at 4:10 PM, I-10 was great. No traffic at all.

Best freeway in Houston now.

I heard the 610 to I10 merger is now 2 lanes.

[amadeuz]

Sweet!

Yeah, my friend said when he went home at 4:10 PM, I-10 was great. No traffic at all.

Best freeway in Houston now.

I heard the 610 to I10 merger is now 2 lanes.

All westbound lanes of I-10 from 610 to BW8 are open! Awesome. It now takes me about 25 minutes from inside the loop to energy corridor. Amazing. Love it.