Sat 2 Dec 2006
Tyler is a regional center in east Texas, with an area population of about 100,000. The city reminds me a lot of other cities – Tallahassee with its horrible loop, Wheeling with its little unexpected skyline, Kansas City with its unexpected hills. Here is a quick look at the goings-on in Tyler, Texas.
An incarnation of this sign has been sitting idly along IH 20 near Lindale for a really long time now. At least 12 years. It is announcing the pending arrival of Loop 49, which was originally envisioned as a 4-lane freeway bypass of the city. Things being what they are now, though, Loop 49 has morphed into a super-2 toll road. Here is a TxDot map. Parts of the Southern section are already open, it will not reach IH 20 for a while.
IH 20 was routed far to the north of Tyler, about 10 miles. The freeway never sees an inkling of the city just to the south, and remains hilly and rural for the duration. Like Tallahassee, this was probably a horrible turn of events for the city’s traffic situation.
From IH 20, there are several exits that run south into the city. The increasingly cluttered US 69 or the freshly rural US 271. US 271’s south end is in Tyler, at SH 31/SH155 just east of downtown. Of course, there isn’t an end sign. (this is Texas, after all!)
Tyler is an absolute traffic nightmare. While the population is just 100,000 the city serves a far reaching regional service area. People come into the city from areas 50-70 miles away for services. The population during the day can easily add 50% more people, according to the 2000 census. The main “bypass” is Loop 323, originally a true bypass is now crammed with mid-rise office blocks and retail. The loop is stacked with major intersections of roads spoking out in all directions, most with big overhead signs like these at US 69.
Another major state road in the area is SH 110. The south side of Tyler is growing the fastest, but it is the farthest from the interstate. At this point, except with perfect green-light luck, you are about 40 minutes from the freeway. Even on weekday afternoons, two light-cycle waits are common on Loop 323 here.
December 9th, 2006 at 11:59 pm
Those overhead signs on Loop 323 are fairly new. I visited Tyler a lot in the late 80s and early to mid 90s and they weren’t there then.
February 15th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Yes, the signs were installed mid 2006. If they would have built a loop with offramps and access roads back in the 70’s, traveling thru Tyler would be great. But TXDOT and the city always want to skimp on roads so now the traffic is horrible. US69 going south out to be the same way(overpasses, offramps, frontage roads). The state is in a rush for tollroads to raise taxes without saying they are raising taxes now. Tyler traffic will always be a mess with short-sighted officials. I wish we had a Guiliani for mayor.
December 22nd, 2007 at 4:53 am
i think the new tol road is a great idea. i have to drive to hawkins from beaumont, and i time my trip based on if i’ll miss traffic in tyler. i hope this project works.
July 16th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
The new loop is just charging Tylerites for what should have been done with 323. Damn the man. BTW, they never should have taken down the old courthouse ( http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txpstcrd/courthouses/SmithCountyTylerTxCourthouseBuild1910.jpg )
March 9th, 2010 at 1:32 am
They should serously build some overpasses.I mean, c’mon people,other cities like nacadoches and lufkin built overpasses in no time,and they don’t have trafic at all! And plus Tyler is the biggest city in East Texas,the roads should be handled as such.AND plus, Loop 49 is a waste of time,it’s not like anybody is going to drive on it,(it being a 2-lane road).