Bridge Over Brazos St. At Spur 527

[trymahjong]

Oh my

 

when did “mansion” become a negative noun. Perhaps those families as my family saw that those larger homes were priced at the same level as NEW Suburban homes   of same size Twenty years ago.......my goodness..... buying urban ( here in Montrose) would allow my family a great school system, huge tree canopies, fenced yard, walkability—  walkability you know that thing where you purposely use your car less......knowing that less car use is better for the environment.
There was a lot of national conversation about that in the early 2000’s. Who knew that making that  choice to live closer to work, schools and Businesses would be liability 20 years later from those who made the choice to live in suburbia, and choose to commute.

 

and no we were not wealthy, not when we bought our home close to Elgin and Bagby, not now. We do pay a lot in Taxes (seems a tricky thing also - everyone thinks they are taxed at the highest rate, which gives them permission to speak to what those taxes are used for. )I gauge the rate of my taxes ( please go and see what percentage of taxes this area pays) with what I personally receive for it- crap sidewalks, bumpy street surfaces, pot holes, crap street lighting and character building sewage and water pressure..... uh also from commuters who explain, that I need to suck it up about commuter traffic and priorities.

Sure tax payers get to speak up and have an opinion but surely commuters can understand how the phrase “ As a Taxpayer.....” can be a bit grating.

 

It is so puzzling to me that the conversation seemed to crawl  towards shame.
 

Of course, I did choose my location, I am am trying to save and maintain my historical house, I am trying to walk And bike more. Yup, trying to drive less, and I do think a small green space that helps With pedestrian safety issues And promotes more biking  was a good thing.
COH  and commuters didn’t agree. They had a stronger voice in what  was the “greater good”
 

Lastly

My update about those safety  measures for biking and walking were to bring awareness that while the bridge is being rebuilt.....those efforts were put on hold. No— those proposals were NOT done away with. But yes, COH is notoriously slow at rebuilding projects. COH is notoriously short sighted when circumstances ( they didn’t anticipate )change.
So IMO the safety stuff might end up like the “ fully funded” Lower Westheimer Renovations. You know.... pushed back and back and back.

 

 

 

 

 

[Texasota]

...did Monarch steal trymahjong's identity?

[hindesky]

Gold plating the I-beams?

[hindesky]

Looks finished to me.

[cspwal]

Did you bike on it?

[hindesky]

9 hours ago, cspwal said:

Did you bike on it?

Yes

[HOU_huckster]

20 hours ago, hindesky said:

Yes

Speaking of, is the plan to pair the ped signals to provide safe synchronized crossing of both Bagby and Smith on foot and bike? If not, this project was an absolute waste.

[hindesky]

Brazos Street bridge reconstruction

The rebuild of the Brazos Street bridge should be completed in January, according to Houston Public Works. In December, crews were finalizing intersection improvements, including new striping, curb ramps and pedestrian crossings. In addition, Smith Street will be reduced to two lanes from three from Francis Street to Holman Street. The bridge, which brings traffic from Hwy. 59 into Midtown, has been closed since summer 2019 after its surface began to deteriorate.

Cost: $4 million

Timeline: fall 2019-winter 2020
 

[X.R.]

That was fast, holy shit. It takes them forever to pave a road, but putting in beams and such take a few months. The power of local business interests, lol. 

[zaphod]

Interesting color. Reminds me of the color of the historic CTA 'El' structures in the Chicago Loop. Hopefully they'll stay like that and not rust too quickly.

[JLWM8609]

5 hours ago, X.R. said:

That was fast, holy shit. It takes them forever to pave a road, but putting in beams and such take a few months. The power of local business interests, lol. 

Just hope they didn't pick the same contractors that did the Ardmore St. bridge for Harris County Flood Control District. Opening was pushed back almost 2 months because they had to redo the deck. 

[wilcal]

Brazos has re-opened.

I noticed last night when I was almost hit by a moving truck doing 45+ MPH through a green light on Brazos at Elgin. 

[hindesky]

 

Rebuilt Brazos Street bridge reopens with intersection improvements

 

By Matt Dulin | 5:00 AM Jan 28, 2021 CST

After a year and half since it was closed, the Brazos Street bridge has reopened, Houston Public Works announced Jan. 27.

The bridge, which carries traffic from Hwy. 59 via Spur 527 into Midtown, was closed after experiencing deteriorating conditions on the concrete decking. It has since undergone a $4 million reconstruction, which initially began in fall 2019 but was briefly halted while city officials considered alternative designs, including closing the bridge altogether and adding even more pedestrian-oriented features.

According to public works, the new bridge surface and reinforced steel structure are expected to last another 50 years.

The project also brought intersection improvements to Smith, Bagby and Holman streets—previously designated as among the 12 most dangerous intersections for bicyclists and pedestrians. 

One southbound lane on Smith was removed to allow for a wider median for non-vehicle traffic safety, and a left-turn lane from Smith to Holman was removed. Wider curb ramps and a concrete trail were also incorporated into the intersections.

The engineering firm Aguirre & Fields oversaw the design of the bridge project.

[trymahjong]

Guess COH is giving residents a consolation prize for no park. There will be a Green Wall erected at this location. COH will build--Midtown Management District will maintain.