Hwy 290 expansion in 2011 and a new Hempstead Tollway

I knowwww!! Nobody would want to come to my house because of construction that time.

I'm also wondering how the heck they're going to expand 290 to 5 lanes on each side? There are businesses pretty close to 290...maybe they're going to be bought out?

 

hempstead highway tollway is a great idea. I don't think they ever could have imagined the northwest area would grow the way it did. secondly, you have to remember, they just finished the Katy freeway expansion, which is in line with the 290 expansion. working on those highways at the same time would have been crazy because alot of those commuters are going to the same place, barker cypress area.

 

Man, when I first moved out to Cypress, 290 actually ended at the McDonalds on 43rd.

 

Just about, yeah.

It's crazy to think about it now, but back then, anything past Fairbanks N-Houston was considered the boondocks.

 

probably was, I remember when they first started building 290 also. its funny to see a highway grow up from scratch.

my mother grew up in fifth ward in 40s and 50s. her house is still there is two blocks away from I10. her street was cut off when they first built I10. its funny, they lived on an intersection, the street that ran by the side of their house is now cut off, but till this day over fifty years later, that street is their address. even though it now runs out at the garage.

 

now they've run 290 around hempstead which probably killed that town.

 

So, in about 5-8 years, it might take less than 2 hours to get from downtown to Barker Cypress during rush hour.

Outstanding.

My brother was living out there for a while. I'd ride in to work with him when I worked for his company. 2 hours each way. They only lived there for a year before they couldn't take it any longer and moved back inside the loop. They actually took a loss on their home to get the heck out of there.

 

If it makes you feel better, I still feel that way.

 

Are tollways the answer though in addition to expanded lanes on each side? I never see anybody use the Katy Tollway on I-10. And that's because there are enough lanes now.

 

if they build a crappy toll way like the west park toll way on hempstead it's a big mistake.

Whoever built that thing just 2 lanes wide in each direction is an idiot. It was outdated before it was finished.

 

Unfortunately, I believe that's what they are going to do.

 

I find it kinda laughable that they've just barely finished revamping 290 out in front of Fairfield a couple years ago (poorly, I might add) and now they're planning to renovate it already? I mean, I know it'll be YEARS before they get around to it.... But I just KNEW when they were doing all that construction that they were going to turn around and do something like this. I'm just saying... I called it.

 

Yeah, I remember out around Cypress Rosehill (is that the name of the road?) there used to be NOTHING. And that was only a few years ago. Now, there are huge shopping centers and it's a very busy intersection.

Last time I was out there, I swear I thought I had taken the wrong exit. I didn't even recognize it.

 

Nobody has commented on:

"Proposed high-capacity transit corridor located along Hempstead Tollway"

I assume this means they are at least thinking about building commuter rail along this route. It makes perfect sense because it looks like it will end around Post Oak ...which is the north end of the proposed light rail segment.

So it sounds like somebody is doing some planning. That's novel.

 

i see a lot of people using it in the mornings in addition to those using the hov.

 

Werent’ they saying this before? I think there is already a railroad track that basically runs parallel to Hempstead Hwy all the way into town. I think I remember reading somewhere that they were thinking of just converting it to a commuter rail. It would save a lot of money since the tracks are already there.

 

Oh, it gets used. While I agree with you that TOLL lanes may not be the solution, the I-10 managed lanes get used. They really DO get a lot of usage.

It's only HOV (+2 free) available from 5-11am, and 2-8pm on weekdays, EZTag all other times. You must not go out there at around those times, sir. I use it often for HOV, and seldom for EZTag or during an urgency for time. When do you go out there?