I45 north to beltway 8 to be double or triple decker freeway with toll lanes

TxDOT considering options for widening I-45

Planners say entire parts of freeway could be relocated

By Dug Begley
November 14, 2013

Moving more traffic along Interstate 45 in downtown Houston could mean moving the entire freeway, or at least many of its lanes, regional transportation planners say.

Confronting how to carry cars and trucks through the city's central business district is one of a handful of issues officials are tackling with a massive corridor plan for I-45, from the north Sam Houston Tollway to U.S. 59 near St. Joseph Parkway. Along the way, officials are hoping to fit two carpool-toll lanes in each direction and improve freeway interchanges and on-and-off ramps.

Planners will hold public comment meetings on the proposals Thursday night and Tuesday night.

Because of the complexities of adding the lanes in various areas along the more than 15-mile route, officials have broken the project into three segments, each with its own challenges.

From the Sam Houston Tollway to Loop 610, officials are considering widening the freeway to four lanes and two managed lanes in each direction or elevating the managed lanes.

Between Loop 610 and Interstate 10, options include widening the freeway and covering it to put the frontage roads on top; elevating the managed lanes in a single four-lane structure over the general use lanes; or double-decking the managed lanes to, essentially, create a sunken, three-tier freeway.

The downtown loop segment, probably the most complex of the three areas because of limited space, has three viable options: widening the Pierce Elevated portion of I-45 and narrowing Pierce Street; moving I-45 to where U.S. 59 is and running the freeways parallel along the eastern side of downtown while tearing out the Pierce and turning the route into a parkway to get to I-10; or leaving I-45 southbound lanes on the Pierce Elevated and shifting the northbound lanes to follow U.S. 59.

All of the options represent major changes to what TxDOT traffic counts rank as one of the state's most congested freeways.

"The thing that is somewhat astonishing is the amount of traffic going through that is not destined to downtown or around downtown," said Bob Eury, executive director of the Houston Downtown Management District. "It gets snarled up by people getting off and on."

Don't hold your breath

Do not expect the changes or a wider freeway anytime soon, however.
"If funding were made available today, this project would cost $1.13 billion and would be ready to begin construction in 2025," state transportation officials said in a recent report.

Moving or restructuring the freeway will be a major change for drivers and potentially reshape downtown Houston road connections. Along with a planned extension of the Hardy Toll Road to downtown, shifting I-45 is a major piece of overall traffic improvements, one that potentially could have the freeway surrounding the central business district.

The Thursday meeting begins the third round of public comment. Two previous sessions in 2010 and 2012 generated huge discussion and dissension. The latest plans were released online earlier this week.

"I had a lot of hope after the second meeting that they were going to consider the public's choices," said Jim Weston, a Woodland Heights resident active with the I-45Coalition, which sparred previously with TxDOT on some of the widening proposals. "After looking at the three (alternatives) they have picked, I have lost a little faith in that."

Tunneling is a no-go

The plans for the downtown and center segments are expected to draw the most interest and criticism.

None of the options for the stretch between Loop 610 and I-10 include acquiring significant right of way, something nearby residents have vehemently opposed since talk of widening the freeway began in 2004.

Weston said the options also do not include what most residents said was their preferred choice: Tunneling so the freeway would be separated from the neighborhood and the downtown area. Though expensive, Weston said tunnel construction would not affect the existing freeway as much as other proposals, and the added cost would be worth it.

Many of the 400-plus comments TxDOT received favored the tunnel plan.
TxDOT spokesman Danny Perez said the tunnel was taken off the list of reasonable alternatives because of engineering challenges.

"There would be no available space for roadway shoulders within a tunnel," Perez said. "This creates a safety hazard in the event of an accident and greatly reduces access for emergency vehicles."

Vehicles also would face slower speeds in a tunnel, Perez said, defeating part of the purpose of the widening and its ability to handle the growing traffic demand planners predict.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...idering-options-for-widening-I-45-4981875.php

 

Agreed it seems like TXDOT is living in a previous time period mentally. Why not even consider building a train line down a freeway every time an expansion is proposed?