"Ugliest" Interchange in Houston

[Trae]

That whole I-10/I-610/US 290 interchange was a mess. The I-10/I-610 part is suburb now that construction is pretty much finished.

[travelguy_73]

Safety standards might well have been different when Pierce Elevated was built in the 1960s, but there was no excuse for rebuilding it in the same configuration in the 1990s, on the excuse that spending time on a better redesign would have resulted in gridlock. When the Elevated was closed for the rebuild there were few traffic problems as a result.

While I agree that it is a terrible design, my recollection of the project was that it was funded by the federal government as a reconstruction, and as such couldn't deviate from the prior footprint. Can't find an online source to back me up on that, though.

[GovernorAggie]

Where is MaxConcrete, our local expert? He would know this better than I, but the 290/610 interchange will have to be rebuilt because of the freeway widening work AND the managed lanes along Hempstead. about a year and a half ago or so, I had heard that the interchange may be really improved by adding very long ramps that would allow 290 drivers to go straight to 10 instead of weaving through 610. So if you're on 290 inbound, you'd have a choice of 610N, 610S, 10E, and 10W while still on 290.

MaxConcrete can verify this.

[CDeb]

So if you're on 290 inbound, you'd have a choice of 610N, 610S, 10E, and 10W while still on 290.

That would do a lot to alleviate the 610/290/10 "megaweave."

[SoonerFanInHouston]

Where and what is the High 5 in Dallas and please describe what it looks like. Also, explain how the ones in Austin look. I am curious if I have seen them while there. Thanks

[CDeb]

Where and what is the High 5 in Dallas and please describe what it looks like. Also, explain how the ones in Austin look. I am curious if I have seen them while there. Thanks

http://www.texasfreeway.com/dallas/constru...five_main.shtml

[GovernorAggie]

Where and what is the High 5 in Dallas and please describe what it looks like. Also, explain how the ones in Austin look. I am curious if I have seen them while there. Thanks

The High Five is the interchange of 635/75 in north Dallas.

The ones in Austin are mostly part of the massive tollways project there. I think they follow the whole Hill Country theme, but are probably some of the best freeways in the country aesthetically. Maybe someone can find pics.

[desirous]

Where and what is the High 5 in Dallas and please describe what it looks like. Also, explain how the ones in Austin look. I am curious if I have seen them while there. Thanks

The High 5 in Dallas is a massive interchange between two of Dallas' busiest freeways. Imagine the Gulf Freeway/BW8 stack in terms of size, except with many two-lane ramps instead of one-laners. It clogs up pretty badly during rush hour, as the freeways outside the interchange haven't been expanded yet - in other words, it has a lot of undeveloped potential. I live in Dallas and have driven in all 8 directions on the interchange.

Austin's highway system is the biggest travesty in the state of Texas. The new tollways simply lengthened existing freeways that are already crowded beyond the breaking point. Imagine if Houston didn't expand the Katy Freeway, but instead built I-10 as an 8-lane tollway out to Sealy, leaving the existing 6-lane configuration all the way to Loop 610. Yeeeeaah, that kind of travesty. Anyone living in Austin must live close to work or suffer utterly traumatic congestion. In Houston and Dallas, at least reverse commuting is an option.

[Trae]

Wasn't the High 5 Dallas' first five level stack? Like Beltway 8 and I-10 West.

[desirous]

Wasn't the High 5 Dallas' first five level stack? Like Beltway 8 and I-10 West.

The first full one, yes. There are a number of 4.5-level stacks without a full feeder box, such as this one and this one. The High Five is the first to have a full feeder box, but otherwise stacks have been around for a while.

[joshuajbp]

The High Five is the interchange of 635/75 in north Dallas.

The ones in Austin are mostly part of the massive tollways project there. I think they follow the whole Hill Country theme, but are probably some of the best freeways in the country aesthetically. Maybe someone can find pics.

God that's awful looking! What's with those colors?!

[shinoda28107]

God that's awful looking! What's with those colors?!

the pictures just don't do it justice. this interchange is much more majestic and beautiful in person.

[Justin]

the pictures just don't do it justice. this interchange is much more majestic and beautiful in person.

Having seen it in person on a drive up to Sherman, I can see it both ways. It's VERY impressive, but I'm not a big fan of the colors.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Yeah, the color scheme is so-so, in my book. But it's definitely a massive interchange, with the same basic feel as the new Katy Freeway/West Loop interchange.

[desirous]

Yeah, the color scheme is so-so, in my book. But it's definitely a massive interchange, with the same basic feel as the new Katy Freeway/West Loop interchange.

The West Loop interchanges (I-10 and US59) feel very low-key to me, actually. It's as if Houston tried their best to disguise the massive bulk, with ground-level ramps and everything. Good for urban continuity, in my opinion. Uptown looks so much better without a concrete Everest at both ends.

[DaTrain]

For me, the ugliest interchanges are:

NASTIEST - BW8 and 290 -- there's so much rust on the columns leading from the steel girders that it looks like poot.

GRIMIEST - US 59 and I-45 -- mostly because of the embankment walls leading southbound to 288 (as seen from 59's lanes on the outside) showing its age because of the grime.

UGLIEST - I-610/290/I-10 -- this weavefested interchange looks like somebody took Atlanta's 8-mile Downtown Connector, shrunk it to a mile, and stuck it here. And that HOV overpass ain't helpin; it just leeches off the southbound lane views.

Runner ups:

*The HOV flyover into downtown where I-45 and I-10 meet into a maze. It's only because it cuts off views of downtown Houston coming south or east into it. The views were so much better by freeway before THIS got built.

*I-45/610 south

*Loop 610 at Post Oak (the wye lookin one, not Uptown). The NB bridge into 610 NB IMO was built too low; everytime I go SB to EB on 610 I have that feeling.

[DaTrain]

Where is MaxConcrete, our local expert? He would know this better than I, but the 290/610 interchange will have to be rebuilt because of the freeway widening work AND the managed lanes along Hempstead. about a year and a half ago or so, I had heard that the interchange may be really improved by adding very long ramps that would allow 290 drivers to go straight to 10 instead of weaving through 610. So if you're on 290 inbound, you'd have a choice of 610N, 610S, 10E, and 10W while still on 290.

MaxConcrete can verify this.

I saw a Houston Freeways photo (old) that showed 610 between 10 and 290 being six lanes total (3 in each direction). That's all I can comment on since I came to Houston only a few years back to see the 12 lane weavefest. Does anyone here have any info on what it was like to drive it back then before it got widened (plus the HOV bridge on the side)??

[GovernorAggie]

For me, the ugliest interchanges are:

NASTIEST - BW8 and 290 -- there's so much rust on the columns leading from the steel girders that it looks like poot.

GRIMIEST - US 59 and I-45 -- mostly because of the embankment walls leading southbound to 288 (as seen from 59's lanes on the outside) showing its age because of the grime.

UGLIEST - I-610/290/I-10 -- this weavefested interchange looks like somebody took Atlanta's 8-mile Downtown Connector, shrunk it to a mile, and stuck it here. And that HOV overpass ain't helpin; it just leeches off the southbound lane views.

Runner ups:

*The HOV flyover into downtown where I-45 and I-10 meet into a maze. It's only because it cuts off views of downtown Houston coming south or east into it. The views were so much better by freeway before THIS got built.

*I-45/610 south

*Loop 610 at Post Oak (the wye lookin one, not Uptown). The NB bridge into 610 NB IMO was built too low; everytime I go SB to EB on 610 I have that feeling.

I concur with all of these.

[JLWM8609]

Prior to the widening projects, I would say the old I-10/US 59 interchange downtown was the "ugliest". It was partially completed in 1958 and fully complete by 1972. US 59 went over I-10 with only 6 lanes and small shoulders, ramps were short and often entered or exited on the left side. It had a ramp from US 59 N to I-10 W that was like a partial cloverleaf. You can still see where it was today, there are also traces of other ramps such as the left lane onramp from I-10 E to US 59 S. Between 1998 and 2003, the interchange was rebuilt, longer more aesthetic ramps with better geometrics were built, HOV lanes added that feed directly into downtown instead of stopping before Lyons, more mainlanes and wide shoulders were added to US 59 and as you can see on the current US 59 N to I-10 W ramp, there's an "Evil Kenevil" stub that will eventually connect to the new Hardy Toll Road extension. Some of the left lane exits and entrances are still there though they've been just about fully rebuilt with new bridge and approach structures, though they follow the same basic path the original ramps followed and now have their own lanes to feed into and are not as substandard as the previous 50 year old design was. The only traces from the original 50's interchange left are the original I-10 mainlanes that go underneath the whole thing that are in need of some resurfacing.

As for 2007, I can't really think of any interchange I'd consider "ugly" being a roadgeek, and that I like just about all Houston interchanges.

[desirous]

Prior to the widening projects, I would say the old I-10/US 59 interchange downtown was the "ugliest". It was partially completed in 1958 and fully complete by 1972. US 59 went over I-10 with only 6 lanes and small shoulders, ramps were short and often entered or exited on the left side. It had a ramp from US 59 N to I-10 W that was like a partial cloverleaf. You can still see where it was today, there are also traces of other ramps such as the left lane onramp from I-10 E to US 59 S. Between 1998 and 2003, the interchange was rebuilt, longer more aesthetic ramps with better geometrics were built, HOV lanes added that feed directly into downtown instead of stopping before Lyons, more mainlanes and wide shoulders were added to US 59 and as you can see on the current US 59 N to I-10 W ramp, there's an "Evil Kenevil" stub that will eventually connect to the new Hardy Toll Road extension. Some of the left lane exits and entrances are still there though they've been just about fully rebuilt with new bridge and approach structures, though they follow the same basic path the original ramps followed and now have their own lanes to feed into and are not as substandard as the previous 50 year old design was. The only traces from the original 50's interchange left are the original I-10 mainlanes that go underneath the whole thing that are in need of some resurfacing.

As for 2007, I can't really think of any interchange I'd consider "ugly" being a roadgeek, and that I like just about all Houston interchanges.

Even 610/45S?

[Vertigo58]

I concur with all of these.

In agreement.

[northbeaumont]

Even 610/45S?

Is that the interchange at Gulfgate?

[desirous]

Is that the interchange at Gulfgate?

Yes. It's awful. I mean, what is this, Massachusetts?

[JLWM8609]

That interchange in particular probably looks so bad because it has no design "scheme" to it. It's a hodgepodge of mainlanes and ramps built in separate decades with different designs all in one place. You have a combination of ramps and overpasses built in the early 50s, 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's all in one location.

[northbeaumont]

That interchange in particular probably looks so bad because it has no design "scheme" to it. It's a hodgepodge of mainlanes and ramps built in separate decades with different designs all in one place. You have a combination of ramps and overpasses built in the early 50s, 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's all in one location.

I interpret what you're saying to mean that instead of demolishing and replacing certain ramps and overpasses, new ones with new designs were simply constructed along with the older ones? Yes, that would be like wearing platform shoes (1970s) with baggy pants (2000s).

[JLWM8609]

That's exactly what they did. The I-45 Northbound mainlanes and overpasses at that location were built in 1952, and slightly modified and widened in the late 70's. The current I-45 Southbound mainlanes and overpasses were built in the late 70's. In the mid 50's, the SH 35 overpasses were added. The 610 mainlanes over I-45 were built in the early 70's, the original 1952 I-45 southbound mainlanes were converted to exits to I-610 in the mid 70's, and the tall flyover ramps to and from 610 and I-45 were built in the mid 70's. Then in the 80's, they added more ramps and widened more overpasses to accomodate the new HOV lanes. Then in the late 90's, they added another overpass to accomodate the HOV lanes. So, this interchange allows you to see the evolution of TxDOT design standards through the decades.

[GovernorAggie]

That's exactly what they did. The I-45 Northbound mainlanes and overpasses at that location were built in 1952, and slightly modified and widened in the late 70's. The current I-45 Southbound mainlanes and overpasses were built in the late 70's. In the mid 50's, the SH 35 overpasses were added. The 610 mainlanes over I-45 were built in the early 70's, the original 1952 I-45 southbound mainlanes were converted to exits to I-610 in the mid 70's, and the tall flyover ramps to and from 610 and I-45 were built in the mid 70's. Then in the 80's, they added more ramps and widened more overpasses to accomodate the new HOV lanes. Then in the late 90's, they added another overpass to accomodate the HOV lanes. So, this interchange allows you to see the evolution of TxDOT design standards through the decades.

I think I'll call it, "the Frankenstein Interchange" mwahahahahaha!!!!

[JLWM8609]

How about "Frankenchange?"