TxDOT Beginning Widening Project On Highway 288

[JLWM8609]

I noticed the signs going up Wednesday.

http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/apps/project_t...mp;dist=Houston

Traffic's gonna be a bear in the morning, they've got the feeder road at that location down to one lane.

[TheNiche]

I noticed the signs going up Wednesday.

http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/apps/project_t...mp;dist=Houston

Traffic's gonna be a bear in the morning, they've got the feeder road at that location down to one lane.

What could they possibly be doing to widen a mile of freeway for only about $3 million? There are already wide auxiliary lanes, but filling in the freeway towards the middle would require that bridges be expensively reconfigured. Something doesn't compute.

[JLWM8609]

I think they're adding a main lane to the outside of SB 288 between MacGregor and Holcombe. They did a similar project on the other side, though all they did was convert a shoulder lane into a somewhat uneven mainlane.

[CALMSP]

perfect highway for a rail line down the middle

[TheNiche]

perfect highway for a rail line down the middle

I'd think that the rail line that parallels the highway would be the perfect place for a rail line.

It's lightly used by freight and even ties in to the Red Line's Fannin-South station before continuing up the Columbia Tap and terminating right where the new soccer stadium and the Southeast Line is. Down south, it would be able to service Missouri City, Pearland, Sienna Plantation, Greatwood, and Richmond/Rosenberg. And if there was ever a desire to establish a Houston-Freeport route, there is an abandoned railroad right of way that branches off and continues southward.

[JLWM8609]

I'd think that the rail line that parallels the highway would be the perfect place for a rail line.

It's lightly used by freight and even ties in to the Red Line's Fannin-South station before continuing up the Columbia Tap and terminating right where the new soccer stadium and the Southeast Line is. Down south, it would be able to service Missouri City, Pearland, Sienna Plantation, Greatwood, and Richmond/Rosenberg. And if there was ever a desire to establish a Houston-Freeport route, there is an abandoned railroad right of way that branches off and continues southward.

The section of Columbia Tap from Dixie Dr. to the location near where the new Dynamo Stadium will be built was ripped up in 1985. A bike trail lies on that stretch now.

[TheNiche]

The section of Columbia Tap from Dixie Dr. to the location near where the new Dynamo Stadium will be built was ripped up in 1985. A bike trail lies on that stretch now.

I know. But you're crazy if you'll think that it'll still be a single-use bike trail in twenty years. Continuous underutilized rights of way aren't common.

[InTheLoop]

It will be a multi-use bike trail in 10, 20 years. Good observation, JLW.

You're crazy if you think that it'll be a rail line in twenty years. Not a chance.

CALM's rail-in-the-middle idea is superior to the Rube Goldberg-scheme posited as an alternative, though we'll likely not get it built.

[JLWM8609]

I know. But you're crazy if you'll think that it'll still be a single-use bike trail in twenty years. Continuous underutilized rights of way aren't common.

I believe that re-tracking of the Columbia Tap for commuter rail will eventually happen. I was just pointing out that the actual tracks that used to terminate near the location of the proposed Dynamo stadium are no longer there.

Now, I drive past this project on 288 every day, and I've observed crews from Williams Brothers in the process of widening the SB feeder road just north of N. MacGregor. The mainlanes haven't been touched yet.

Edited March 5, 2009 by JLWM8609

[plumber2]

Some work is happening on the southbound feeder just south of 610. I guess this technically is not the 288 feeder but actually the eastbound 610 feeder as its rounds under 288 just north of Holmes Road and then doubles back to 610. An entrance ramp to 288 southbound at this location would be a welcomed alternative to people trying to go outbound.

[CoolBuddy06]

Some work is happening on the southbound feeder just south of 610. I guess this technically is not the 288 feeder but actually the eastbound 610 feeder as its rounds under 288 just north of Holmes Road and then doubles back to 610. An entrance ramp to 288 southbound at this location would be a welcomed alternative to people trying to go outbound.

Yes I also saw that. An entrance to 288 South at that location will reduce evening congestion at Fannin entrance ramp to 610 East. I guess people coming from Med Center/Reliant area and trying to go towards Pearland are clogging that ramp up.

[JLWM8609]

Some work is happening on the southbound feeder just south of 610. I guess this technically is not the 288 feeder but actually the eastbound 610 feeder as its rounds under 288 just north of Holmes Road and then doubles back to 610. An entrance ramp to 288 southbound at this location would be a welcomed alternative to people trying to go outbound.

Hopefully, TxDOT has plans in the future for a connection of the 610 feeder roads to the 288 feeder roads and Holmes Rd. by building an extension over the railroad tracks.

[TheNiche]

Hopefully, TxDOT has plans in the future for a connection of the 610 feeder roads to the 288 feeder roads and Holmes Rd. by building an extension over the railroad tracks.

Sooner than later, they're going to have to rebuild the stack. I'm positive that there'll be a reconfiguration of the feeder roads, and I agree that the current setup is really inefficient.

[ihop]

I know there are plans for changes in the feeder road configuration in that area. For one I heard something about making a T-style (?) exit off 610 at Cambridge, and plans to redo Cambridge as a major entrance to the Med Center.

[TheNiche]

I know there are plans for changes in the feeder road configuration in that area. For one I heard something about making a T-style (?) exit off 610 at Cambridge, and plans to redo Cambridge as a major entrance to the Med Center.

Oh, that'd be a good idea, especially if they put some grade separations at Holly Hall and OST, then made the stop signs at El Paseo only two-way.

I knew that Cambridge was going to be the new ambulance route, but I didn't realize that there were plans to give it flyovers and such. Where'd you hear about them?

[ihop]

It's part of the TMC 50yr plan, the 2006 version has it slated for 2006-2010, though I suspect it might be a few more years out than previously planned.

http://www.texmedctr.tmc.edu/root/en/GetTo...owth/Vision.htm

Open Space Strategies

...

[plumber2]

It's part of the TMC 50yr plan, the 2006 version has it slated for 2006-2010, though I suspect it might be a few more years out than previously planned.

http://www.texmedctr.tmc.edu/root/en/GetTo...owth/Vision.htm

Open Space Strategies

...

[JLWM8609]

I think an update in is order. About a month ago, they finished the widening of the offramp from 288 SB to OST/Holcombe. Previously, the offramp was one lane that spread into three lanes as you approached the intersection with Holcombe, with the left lane serving left turns and straight thrus, the center lane serving straight thrus and the right lane being a forced right turn only lane.. Now, the offramp is 3 lanes wide from the point that it leaves 288 to the intersection, and the lane configurations are still the same. That improvement is supposed to stop traffic at that ramp from backing up onto the freeway. Between S. MacGregor and the OST/Holcombe exit, there is still construction going on to add a lane to the SB mainlanes. Every night, they close down 1 or 2 of the right lanes as they do their work. They've put in new foundations for new gooseneck mast lights and new storm water drains. From what they've excavated so far, it doesn't look like they can fit one whole lane and a shoulder in there, but you can't always go by looks. The intersection with N. MacGregor and the SB feeder is still undergoing construction. They're still rebuidling some center lanes from Hermann to N. MacGregor and they're laying down new concrete for the forced right turn lane at N. MacGregor. They're also redoing the stretch of N. MacGregor from the feeder to Almeda as part of the project. The new onramp just south of 610 looks like it's almost complete. I think they're putting a new surface on an overpass too as part of the project. I guess all of this will be done in a few months time.

Edited July 15, 2009 by JLWM8609

[JLWM8609]

It looks like for all purposes, the widening project is complete. I think there are some striping issues to be taken care of, but the new pavement is down. I also notice they put up new signage, part of it denoting OST as Texas Highway 90 Alt when it's actually US Highway 90 Alt. I don't know how they let that error pass, I don't even think there are State Highways with Alt routes.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

It looks like for all purposes, the widening project is complete. I think there are some striping issues to be taken care of, but the new pavement is down. I also notice they put up new signage, part of it denoting OST as Texas Highway 90 Alt when it's actually US Highway 90 Alt. I don't know how they let that error pass, I don't even think there are State Highways with Alt routes.

I didn't notice the "Texas Hwy 90" sign last night.

The Niche already knows this, but Texas 90 goes from Navasota through Bedias and up to Madisonville.

That's a pretty big mistake.

[rsb320]

I didn't notice the "Texas Hwy 90" sign last night.

The Niche already knows this, but Texas 90 goes from Navasota through Bedias and up to Madisonville.

That's a pretty big mistake.

No kidding. US 90 was the major east-west highway across this country. I-10 is basically its replacement.

They gotta fix that sign.

[JLWM8609]

Ok, more updates. The construction at the MacGregor exit from 288 SB is nearing completion. Previously, there was only one exit lane from 288 and a one lane curve from the 288 SB feeder road onto N. MacGregor. Now, the exit ramp from 288 is 2 lanes wide, and there is now a 2 lane curve from the 288 SB feeder road onto N. MacGregor. Unfortunately, drivers still stop in the middle of the curve to yield to N. MacGregor as if their lanes are merging with the N. MacGregor lanes when in fact, their lanes do not merge but just get added to N. MacGregor. They're also adding a right turn only lane for traffic going from N. MacGregor to the 288 SB feeder road.

They also made some more modifications at the 288/610 interchange. They slightly reconfigured the ramp from 288 NB to 610 WB and added an exit to Almeda from the 288 ramps to 610 WB. They have it listed as exit 1, but it's not an exit from the 610 mainlanes so it's not technically correct to number the exit. I suppose nobody but the roadgeeks will notice that one.

[arisegundo]

They also made some more modifications at the 288/610 interchange. They slightly reconfigured the ramp from 288 NB to 610 WB and added an exit to Almeda from the 288 ramps to 610 WB. They have it listed as exit 1, but it's not an exit from the 610 mainlanes so it's not technically correct to number the exit. I suppose nobody but the roadgeeks will notice that one.

All christened with a nice flood.