gnu Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 The article recently posted by Subdude on roundabouts compelled me to comment on the redesigned intersection of FM528/Nasa Pkwy & I45. It has been "finished" for a few months now, but it is hardly an improvement. Now i know the old configuration wasn't a roundabout, it was more of a cloverleaf, but it sure was more efficient than the current stoplight arrangement. I used to never have a problem there and now i sit through several light cycles everyday. Contributing to the problem is the westbound NASA Pkwy striping arrangement that puts the left lane coming out of Webster as left-turn only and leaves the right lane to split off into THREE lanes! (two through-lanes and the right-turn lane). It is always a mess there with everyone in the left lane trying to move right, while the other people just hold their places instead of feeding to the right to fill up the other lanes. The simple sollution would be to restripe the road so the left-lane feeds into the left through-lane, thus creating an actual fixed-length left-turn lane off of it. Then restripe the right lane so that it feeds into the right through-lane (and the right-turn lane) only. Anyone want to do some midnight painting?? Thanks for the new bypass TxDot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Thanks for the new bypass TxDot! saves me 10 mins southbound....hopefully the northbound will open soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Now i know the old configuration wasn't a roundabout, it was more of a cloverleaf, but it sure was more efficient than the current stoplight arrangement. I used to never have a problem there and now i sit through several light cycles everyday.I can remember driving through that interchange a few times and encountering backups onto the feeder road. The length of those backups were probably about the same length of time that the traffic light cycles to get through are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnu Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 I can remember driving through that interchange a few times and encountering backups onto the feeder road. The length of those backups were probably about the same length of time that the traffic light cycles to get through are. i guess you just hit it at a bad time. I never had any kind of serious problems like the current situation and i am through there at least twice or more a day. Regardless...the striping is still screwed up and causes the majority of the problem. Musicman.. you are lucky...i wish i still had MY unimpeded direct connector instead of a traffic light Maybe someday they will extend the bypass into 528. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 I totally agree and witnessed it first hand last week when I took my daughter to NASA. I was very thankful that the NEW NASA Rd. 1 interchange was open and I got to bypass that whole mess going in, going back to Houston is another story. It was during the downpour last Saturday (not this past one) and made it twice as bad I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 I think once the other side of the bypass is open, it may make a difference, and they may be able to time the light better.For now though, it is not a better solution.And until that freeway is opened to 4 lanes in each direction (at least) from where it cuts down to 3 lanes to at least 518, things are going to continue to be bad, and get worse instead of better.I really just can't wait till my company moves to BW8 and 45, that way I don't have to deal with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perimeter285 Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 TxDOT seems to have this fixation on making all Houston-area interchanges uniform even if it means downgrading them. In my mind, a cloverleaf with the surface street passing over the freeway seems much more efficient than a "diamond" interchange with traffic lights and the freeway passing over the surface street. Call me crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Anyone know when construction will be completed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Anyone know when construction will be completed?last time i spoke with txdot they said nov. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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