Just a note, please be careful on 290 when you are getting on to the freeway from the frontage road and you do not have the right of way when merging. Also take care for vehicles coming off of the freeway as they might have the right of way. I am around 290 at the Fairbanks /Tidwell Road exit and I see an accident here almost every other day. Tonight around 6 pm or so there were three police cars on the freeway and I couldn't really make out what had happened but it must have been an accident.
Yeah I've driven all around the country and am really not used to not having a merge lane when getting on to the freeway. Driving in L.A. was stressful because of the gridlock but it never felt dangerous. Driving in Houston can be really unpleasant.
290 is one of the worst freeways in USA Narrow roads with 3 small ass lanes esp taking 610 to 290W. Zero margin for error plus you have idiots doing 80 while tailgating
I live off 290 and I hate that f**ker. The no merge on ramp can be terrifying. Some people stop altogether and you nearly hit them, some hop on when they have no business and you nearly hit them on the freeway. As a driver it can be hard to judge the best course of action. There had to be a better way of doing it than inflicting that monster on an unprepared driver base.
People getting ON the freeway (in Houston) absolutely don't know how to do it. The don't BREAK. Let me say that again (no matter what is coming from the freeway side) the getting on vehicle, without fail, maintains speed, like a sick game of chicken. It's not just 290.
How is Cypress not shrinking, population wise? Why the hell are people willingly moving there, knowing what a clusterf*** 290 is and will continue to be for years?
I live in the area and yeah it's awful. I believe the big issue is they're shutting down the 290 to beltway 8 ramp after 9pm nightly.
My girlfriend lived off of Fairbanks, and I lived in the galleria area. I would drive over to her about 4 days a week during traffic time,. I'd pick her up, drive back to my house with her, then go drop her back off, and drive home. So I was going down the highway about 16+ times a week, and I did that for about over 6 months, I was also a brand new driver in a brand new car. Thank goodness I never got in a accident. That highway is hell, its a nerve wrecking trap for accidents waiting to happen. The side walls are SO damn close and the side walls are all curved and stick out into the roads down the whole highway(WTF), there is absolutely no shoulders lanes, the lanes its self seem to be smaller then usual its curvy and bumpy ass hell, then there's no entering lane, there's a **** load of big trucks and 18 wheelers, and there's constant traffic.
I drove on 290 during rush hour...once Never again I seriously feel bad for you guys that have to deal with that POS on a daily basis.
Not surprise to hear about the accidents. You have to be quite experience to handle the situation. Absolutely not for newbie. Even experience drivers are at the mercy of other drivers on the highway giving space on these no merge lanes. I'm glad I'm be able to avoid that 290 portion between BW8 and 610.
