houtexas7 Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Will the Westpark Tollway have an entrance ramp from Highway 6 to WT eastbound? If not, why was this busy interchange left out?http://hctra.com/engineering/pdf/westpark_map.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 You can exist off of HWY 6, make a left and get on the tollway.It won't have a direct connector if that's what you want.This doesn't mean that one in the future may not be needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houtexas7 Posted June 8, 2005 Author Share Posted June 8, 2005 Well, direct connector or not, I'm wondering if there will be an entrance ramp close to Highway 6. The closest I'm seeing is at Eldridge, and that is at least 2 or 3 stop lights down Alief Clodine from Highway 6. That is terribly inconvenient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Westpark MapThere will be an exit between Eldridge and HWY 6 at Sugarland-Howell Road. I'm think you'll just make a left at the light and get on the Tollway.It says temporary though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomv Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 This morning for some reason the temporary entrance at Sugarland Howell and Alief Clodine was closed. Traffic was backed up for at least a half mile trying to get through the light at Eldridge and enter the eastbound tollway. I hope this is not what it's going to be like once the temporary entrance is closed permanently. Since I take Bellaire to Metro Drive and enter the tollway that way, I missed most of the traffic and don't know why the temporary entrance wasn't open. It may be closed for good. And just to rub salt in the wounds of frustrated commuters who are already paying dearly for the privilege of using the Tollway, there were two officers with radar guns pointed at traffic heading east a few miles past the bottleneck. Perfect to catch a motorist who can't afford to be late for work and needed to make up for some of his lost time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 A-C is really screwed up. They should've just built the damn frontage roads, instead of screwing up the configuration of the roads like that. It is nice when you pay over two bucks to get there in fifteen minutes, and then you have to wait thirty minutes just to make a right turn. But they already have your money, so who cares? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houtexas7 Posted June 9, 2005 Author Share Posted June 9, 2005 From what I understand that temporary exit has now been permanently closed. I noticed that they have replaced the exit sign on Highway 6. Now it says Westpark Tollway and Alief Clodine. Sure doesn't say anything about having to exit, then drive over a mile on Alief Clodine and through at least a couple stoplights to get on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehan Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 The traffic at the Eldridge light should improve when they open up the entrance at FM 1464. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomv Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 The tollway is now open all the way to Westpark, which is just east of 1464. That explains why the temporary entrance at Sugarland Howell is closed. So now motorists wanting to go east on the tollway from southbound Hwy 6 will have to go through 5 lights to get there: 2 at Alief Clodine and Hwy 6, 1 each where Alief Clodine intersects Sugarland Howell, Metro Drive, and Eldridge. Then fork over $2 to get to 59. Can you say DIRECT CONNECTOR?Notwithstanding this flaw, I'm very impressed with the Westpark Tollway. It's being built very rapidly, and it really is fairly unobtrusive as it snakes it's way past apartments and residences along the way. I would like to know if there any complaints at all from folks who live in the affluent subdivisons of Royal Oaks and Shadowlake, which are just north of the freeway.An expressway like this, with no service roads, no billboards, no toll plazas, nice divider walls, and only four lanes wide should set the standard for future freeways that need to be built in close in areas where there's not much right of way. Building the extension of the Fort Bend Parkway from Loop 610 to S Main down Post Oak, for instance, should not be that difficult after building the Westpark Tollway. The proposed Heights Toll Road will probably never get built, but I'm sure a road like this is what planners had in mind. And the purple signs along the tollway are cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houtexas7 Posted June 10, 2005 Author Share Posted June 10, 2005 Has this lack of access from Highway 6 been addressed by the toll road authority at all in the past? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 Doesn't it look like there are ramps to Hwy 6 just slightly north of the tollway? (link) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomv Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 Doesn't it look like there are ramps to Hwy 6 just slightly north of the tollway? (link)<{POST_SNAPBACK}>All I see is one ramp from the westbound tollway to Hwy 6 north, and another ramp from the northbound Hwy 6 service road to the westbound tollway. Even with this second ramp, motorists have to go through a light first at Alief Clodine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 And, either of those ramps get you going Eastbound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houtexas7 Posted June 14, 2005 Author Share Posted June 14, 2005 I drove through the area today, and actually, no, those ramps head westbound with no eastbound access at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 oops, sorry, I mean westbound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomv Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 The last two days traffic on the Westpark Tollway eastbound during rush hour has been VERY heavy. Stop and go in places starting east of Eldridge with average speed down to 30-40 mph or so. School of course is in session and the tollway has just been completed all the way to the Grand Parkway, so those are factors. But it's a bit disturbing to think that the freeway may already be at capacity at least during rush hour. It's already expensive, $3 from Grand Parkway to 59, and I hope they don't have to start charging more during rush hour to thin the herd out. By the way I get off at Fondren so I don't know how congested the rest of the road is east of there in the morning, but it doesn't look good... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Timmy Chan's Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 The last two days traffic on the Westpark Tollway eastbound during rush hour has been VERY heavy. Stop and go in places starting east of Eldridge with average speed down to 30-40 mph or so. School of course is in session and the tollway has just been completed all the way to the Grand Parkway, so those are factors. But it's a bit disturbing to think that the freeway may already be at capacity at least during rush hour. It's already expensive, $3 from Grand Parkway to 59, and I hope they don't have to start charging more during rush hour to thin the herd out. By the way I get off at Fondren so I don't know how congested the rest of the road is east of there in the morning, but it doesn't look good... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I go westbound (outbound) on the Westpark Tollway in the mornings, so I've seen those traffic jams you're talking about. Be glad that you get off at Fondren; at 8:00 this morning the eastbound (inbound) side of the Westpark Tollway was STOPPED from US 59 all the way out to Jeannetta (west of Fondren). I'm guessing that's at least a mile or two of sitting and burning $2.50/gallon gas! I've never seen traffic that bad on the Tollway, but I do see it backed up from 59 at least once every week or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 Is it the ramp to US 59 inbound that is backed up? What about the eastbound lane to Westpark Road and Post Oak/Richmond? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 Trying to gauge whether commuters think it's worth it, do you think the trip is quick enough before the traffic jam that commuters still save time over taking 59? And, does 59 back up in that area, too? This tollway empties it's entire flow onto the street at its terminus, is that correct? If that is true, then this traffic jam would just be a big line at the stoplight. A look at longer light cycles might be in order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 The terminus at Post Oak and Richmond can handle lots of traffic. The intersection is quite large.The terminus at Westpark Road just before the loop just merges in without losing any lanes and seems fine.I think the biggest issue is people getting off the Tollway and getting on US 59. I can see out that ramp would back up, but there is little the tollway can do to relieve this problem since it is caused by US 59. Even in this situation, a lane is free to continue into Uptown (post oak/richmond terminus) and Greeway Plaza via Westpark Road terminus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Plastic Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 SO am i getting this right? They've completed it to the Grand Parkway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 Yes, Plastic, they have. Ft. Bend County opened their section of the tollway this week. However, the interchange at the Grand Parkway is still under construction, as is the long-delayed project to finish the interchange with the Sam Houston Tollway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Plastic Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 I was out there only 2 months ago and the Westpark ended just after Dairy Ashford.SO you telling me the finished that few miles segment to HWY 6 already???And traffic, they got traffic jamz on it now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 The traffic is really bad now. Its like the Katy Freeway at rush hour on the WP Tollway. I knew they would ruin it eventually, but I did not think they would do it this quickly.They need to demolish the connectors to the Grand Parkway immediately. This thing can't handle a all the Cinco Ranch people who are trying to cut a few miles off their commute because they drive gas guzzlers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomv Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 If you do get on from far West Houston heading east, check your gas tank. Once you pass FM 1464, there's no exit for 8 miles. You can't get off until Beltway 8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehan Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 I haven't been using the tollway much anymore to commute because the time savings has been going down.I live near Briar Forest@Wilcrest and work near Kirby@610. Barring any major accidents, I-10 is about the same or faster than the tollway, and its free.I have used it a few times at rush hour westbound to visit my parents in Sugar Land and the traffic really starts moving once you pass Highway 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 I usually get on around Eldridge. I really think it shouldn't go further because the density around Westchase and the energy corridor will naturally increase the ridership of the toll road. This thing should definitely not go outside of Harris County because FBCTRA royally screwed this up by making it the main route for all their new housing additions.I don't know what to say. It's only going to get worse because of the development springing up on the west end of it. There's no room to expand it either, therefore it is destined to become an expensive parking lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 This all sounds like what they say about building or expanding highways is true. They don't relieve congestion. They add to it, because people see it as an alternative and jump on it. It's a shame that it filled up so quickly. Maybe the commuter rail will help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Plastic Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 The Hardy Toll Road doesn't backup does it? I'm wondering why any developments haven't sprun up along the Hardy Toll Road since there's so many people using it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowbrow Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 Last I heard the "ridership" on the Hardy was underwhelming. Has that changed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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