Loop 49 at IH 20 schematic

[austrini]

I hope this hasnt been posted before, but I didnt see it. Here are the schematics for the Loop 49 junction with IH 20 northwest of Tyler. I dont think they're posted online anywhere.

[blawp]

Another crude interchange courtesy of TxDOT

[kphoger]

Looks decent to me.  Not sure what's crude about it.

[wtd67]

Thanks for posting, I hadn't seen what the plans were.  It explains why there are no flyovers are being constructed at I-20 and Loop 49.  It would make getting on/off I-20 and Loop 49 easier if they would build a stack with a direct connections between the two like they do in the DFW area between two freeways.

[austrini]

I'm supposing only the yellow colored portions are phase one, and its only a two-lane road so flyovers dont seem like they'd be necessary yet.

[Alps]

Looks decent to me.  Not sure what's crude about it.

It would make getting on/off I-20 and Loop 49 easier if they would build a stack with a direct connections between the two like they do in the DFW area between two freeways.

TxDOT has a habit of connecting two freeways without full grade separation on the ramps.

[Anthony_JK]

Since Loop 49 appears to be only in Stage 1 as a two lane highway (one frontage road of the ultimate facility), it makes no sense at this time to build direct connectors. Ultimately as funding progresses, I'm sure the other access road will be built, and then the mainlines, and then once traffic warrants, the direct connectors will be built.

[txstateends]

This is similar to what was done at TX 121 and the Dallas North Tollway (which later/now has direct ramps) and I-35E at TX 121 (which later/now has 2 of the 4 sets of direct ramps; supposedly the other 2 will be done whenever I-35E from north Dallas to Denton gets redone).

[austrini]

The major examples I can think of, when this type of interchange has been used are all toll roads, except for US 281 at IH 410 before the stack. I'm probably missing some...

[blawp]

they already have a bridge over the 20 and obviously ample space (it's texas, after all), would it have killed them to build some cloverleaf trumpet thing instead?

[qguy]

When it's fully built (including the Loop 49 mainline), it will be a typical volleyball interchange.

We have two of them here in PA (one on the west side of Philadelphia, one west of Pittsburgh). I hate them. They pretend to be freeway-to-freeway connections, but of course you have stop signs or signal lights between the two highways. Even when they're built in the middle of nowhere (like at US 22 and PA 576 west of Pittsburgh), you still are forced to use what amounts to local roads to move from one freeway to the other. In some sense it defeats the purpose of having a freeway in the first place.

[kphoger]

When it's fully built (including the Loop 49 mainline), it will be a typical volleyball interchange.

We have two of them here in PA (one on the west side of Philadelphia, one west of Pittsburgh). I hate them. They pretend to be freeway-to-freeway connections, but of course you have stop signs or signal lights between the two highways. Even when they're built in the middle of nowhere (like at US 22 and PA 576 west of Pittsburgh), you still are forced to use what amounts to local roads to move from one freeway to the other. In some sense it defeats the purpose of having a freeway in the first place.

They're like giant roundabout interchanges such as you might find in England, except without the advtages of roundabouts.  The worst of both worlds.

[Stephane Dumas]

I sketched some variations about Loop-49 at I-20.

[Anthony_JK]

This is standard operational procedure for Texas freeways/tollways.

The frontage roads will probably be built first before the mainlanes, so there's really no need for direct connectors or a cloverleaf interchange right now. Once the mainlines of TOLL 49 are built, I'm sure the direct connectors will be, too.

[wtd67]

Loop 49 will not have frontage roads.  See http://www.loop49.org/.  It is being built as a two lane freeway and will eventually add a second set of lanes some point in the future.