I nominate this as the worst freeway interchange of all time. You exit off 290, drive across three lanes of traffic, then exit AGAIN. How many accidents are there at this death trap? I think I'll be taking Parmer Lane to I 35 from now on, or I'll put duct tape on my license plates and drive through the toll way to get to my sister's house...
from where are you coming and to where are you going? going west on 290, take 183 north (to IH35 or loop 1 or 360 or 620). the freeway interchanges in austin were designed by 3rd graders with no sense of present or future.
I'll see your 290/I-35 exit and raise you the I-35/183 bridge exit and the 183/Mopac interchange. I call.
Nah. Nothing beats the old entrance ramps to the lower deck. I can't count how many times I almost died due to unknowingly cutting off an 18-wheeler before they changed those ramps. Second place goes to the entrance ramp from Allen Parkway to I-45S in Houston. Narrowly avoided death on that thing almost daily for nearly two years now.
We have a winner. I miss the days of the 10 foot onramps, where you would just blindly enter I-35 on the lower deck. I think I came inches from death a few times myself. What a death trap.
if the entrance ramps used to be even shorter than they are now, then those I-35 entrance ramps might be the winner. even now, i always enjoyed entering behind someone who decides to slow down as they get to the freeway as if that's going to help us go from about 30 to 65 in 2 seconds to merge with traffic. even when no one is in front of you it's harder to be going any faster than 40 when you hit the ramp so you still aren't up to freeway speed by the time you get there. luckily people in austin don't drive as fast as houston or it would be even harder to merge. 290 to I-35N is definitely fun, flying across 3 lanes in about .1 miles, and 35/183 is fun at rush hour when it backs up over 1/2 a mile b/c they give the entering traffic and exiting traffic about 1/4 of a mile to all switch out before the exit. brilliant planning guys. i have to give some props to trying to exit chimney rock off 59S. it's right after the 610 exit, except right as the exit comes up, 3 new lanes join 59S, and there's always traffic on them, so you have to cross 3 lanes through traffic in almost no time, and then after you exit it's still another 3 lanes on the feeder to turn right on chimney rock. and if you live in the fast lane like i do, you've already had to move over 3 lanes just to get ready to move the other 6 lanes, so it's a solid 9 lane changes in a pretty short amount of time. trying it at night is even less fun.
yeah imagine what its going to be like in about 10-15 yrs. its gonna be bad austin is growing very very quickly.
Austin has the absolute worst freeway layout in the country. No east/west freeway whatsoever, Loops that dont Loop, 3 names for every highway, A freeway (where 290 dead ends at 35) that merges down to a 4 lane residential street. The double decker suicide nightmare that is 35 near downtown. The list goes on and on. Long-time Austinites HATE growth and have done everything possible to prevent it. Unfortunately, due to the popularity and expansion of the city over the past 10 or so years (not to mention the thousands of graduates from UT who want to remain there), this has severly crippled the mobility factor.
Yes! The Austin freeway system is absolutely horrible. It's actually kept me from going on trips there when I knew traffic would be bad. You'd think that TXDot would put some serious cash into revamping the roads in the bloody capital of Texas.
I decided to take 290 to I35 today instead of using Parmer like I usually do. Big take on my part. I got stuck in flea market traffic. Sweet enola gay, I've had easier times driving to see the Texans than the flea market traffic. People must love going on sundays to the local flea market that was built on top of a landfill.
That's first place IMO ever since they added all those trees and bushes to make it 100% impossible to see even a tidbit of oncoming traffic. The Houston Press nominated it "Houston's cheapest thrill ride" some years ago - most accurate report ever. I took a trip to SA not too long ago - I got out of Houston and said to myself, "thank god I'm done with I-10 construction". Holy smokes was I wrong. I-10 in San Antonio makes Houston construction seem miniscule. I-10 curves like some drunken civil engineers just randomly poured concrete all over the city, and then whole sections are completely torn up wth random lane closures. To top it all off, the "express lanes" diverge and leave you in this concrete barrier-ed I-10 ditch with no maneuverability as 40,000 beat up Ford trucks race by into a dizzying vortex of mangled highway, piles of dirt, and a stupifying array of exits and entrances. All this and at night - that was a wild ride.
One major reason I think Austin is overrated. Ever try getting on 35 with those short ass on ramps? I just close my eyes and gun it hoping I won't die.
35 sucks i admit. that's why i dont take it unless its necessary. learn to take alternate routes and highways. like when you learn that you can take South Rice to TMC, its rewarding!
i live in central austin and don't have to use IH35, thank god! in fact, the only freeway i use is Mopac...if ever.
