Bryan-College Station Loop

[Sparrow]

http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Loop-could-connect-Bryan-and-College-Station-in-future-370029311.html

Proposed loop road around Bryan-College Station.

[cspwal]

So building this loop through developed areas is fine, but building a high speed link to Dallas and Houston from here is bad?

[MaxConcrete]

Quote

The project would also be pricey. A western loop could cost $23 million while an eastern loop an additional $70 million. A final route is also far from being selected.

 

That's not pricey. In fact, that price seems quite low. Apparently most of the east bypass would be a two-lane highway, non-freeway. Other parts would just absorb existing roads, which vary in width but are all non-freeway. (SH 47 is a quasi-freeway, I don't know if it has traffic lights these days.)

It looks like the proposed route uses existing SH 47 on the west side, some of OSR on the north, and some of SH 40 (Fitch Parkway) on the south. Most of the east route appears to be new. The southwest side of the loop is missing from the map. I wondering: is that because it is not needed in that area, or are existing routes sufficient, or would it be too expensive or controversial?

I would rather see more of route 2818 upgraded to freeway standards, since much of it has sufficient right-of-way. On the southwest side, possibly upgrade Wellborn Road between FM 2818 and SH 40 (Fitch parkway).

 

[IronTiger]

18 hours ago, MaxConcrete said:

 

That's not pricey. In fact, that price seems quite low. Apparently most of the east bypass would be a two-lane highway, non-freeway. Other parts would just absorb existing roads, which vary in width but are all non-freeway. (SH 47 is a quasi-freeway, I don't know if it has traffic lights these days.)

It looks like the proposed route uses existing SH 47 on the west side, some of OSR on the north, and some of SH 40 (Fitch Parkway) on the south. Most of the east route appears to be new. The southwest side of the loop is missing from the map. I wondering: is that because it is not needed in that area, or are existing routes sufficient, or would it be too expensive or controversial?

I would rather see more of route 2818 upgraded to freeway standards, since much of it has sufficient right-of-way. On the southwest side, possibly upgrade Wellborn Road between FM 2818 and SH 40 (Fitch parkway).

 

The plan was discussed on TexAgs and then picked up on KBTX. It's actually been on the COB's master planning documents for years. It's really non-news...

That's why the southwest "notch" isn't visible, because it's all in College Station or the ETJ. College Station's plan isn't involving a loop, though...Highway 47 would be extended and continue as a major boulevard on Hopes Creek Road (as per College Station's plan). The original plan was to have 40 cross the railroad and parallel Wellborn Road with the railroad between them, then connect up to 2818, but things happened, and now that plan's impossible now (including development on what would've been the TX-40 ROW). Additionally, Holleman was supposed to continue southwest to hook up where Dowling curves slightly south before going east to 2818, and that Marion Pugh (later Jones-Butler) was supposed to hook up with the old right of way. Today, Holleman makes an awkward, curving S curve as the area between 2818 and Dowling is filled with apartments.

As a result, the area is a huge mess. 2818 between George Bush and Holleman grinds to a halt every day as traffic makes there way through, and this is exacerbated by apartments building right up to 2818 with driveways, and an overpass at Holleman is impossible as it means the 2818/Wellborn overpass will have to be completely reworked (either it would have to be rebuilt to be elevated until past Holleman, and it was only completed 5 years ago, or an underpass will have to be redone, which not only would include a massive inclined area from below Holleman to above Wellborn, it would be subject to flooding since it's near a low area). And that's not even counting the re-do in exits and entrances it would use. 

A 47/40 connecting loop would be a massive help, of course, as it would take pressure off from Wellborn, 2818, and FM 60, and the land value is still low enough for that to be a possibility.