Interstate 2

[Pete from Boston]

It's like going to a double A minor league baseball game and saying it's just as good as watching the Yankees and Red Sox.

So an Interstate is like watching the Yankees play a double A minor league team, in other words.

[mgk920]

It's like going to a double A minor league baseball game and saying it's just as good as watching the Yankees and Red Sox.

So an Interstate is like watching the Yankees play a double A minor league team, in other words.

Nowadays, the AA team could well beat the Yankees!



Mike

[Pete from Boston]

It's like going to a double A minor league baseball game and saying it's just as good as watching the Yankees and Red Sox.

So an Interstate is like watching the Yankees play a double A minor league team, in other words.

Nowadays, the AA team could well beat the Yankees!



Mike

Fortunately they're in the AL East, which includes no team at or above the AA level, and therefore remain in first place.

[Grzrd]

Google Street View has posted some May, 2015 imagery showing I-2 shields in the field.

[english si]

It's the same reason why it's a BIG DEAL that Glasgow and London now have a direct motorway connection in the UK and why you see the same thing with plans for the Newcastle region in England to be connected to London and Belfast-Dublin on the island of Ireland, even though functionally the old non-motorway dual carriageway links that were/are there now accomplish (or accomplished, in the case of the old A74 north of Carlisle) almost the same thing.

TBH, a lot of the A1 route needs the widening. The last bit of M6 needed the extra lane as well (though north of there it didn't need D3, but did need safety upgrades and if you are going to build an offline route, why not add an extra lane in each direction).

Belfast-Dublin isn't planned. Some safety upgrades, sure, but motorway conversion of Lisburn-Newry isn't on the table.

[intelati49]

Google Street View has posted some May, 2015 imagery showing I-2 shields in the field.

That was fast... Is it me or is the coverage getting better for both streetview and satellite.

[Rothman]

Only in certain areas.  There is still surprisingly old footage in GSV.

[iBallasticwolf2]

Only in certain areas.  There is still surprisingly old footage in GSV.

An example of that would be Norfolk, VA only seems to have footage from 2012-2013 or older.

[txstateends]

Google Street View has posted some May, 2015 imagery showing I-2 shields in the field.

That was fast... Is it me or is the coverage getting better for both streetview and satellite.

There are still many parts of TX that have not been re-visited by the Google car since 2008-2009.  I've even seen a few spots (not just old forgotten country roads, either) that have yet to have a visit.

[US 41]

Google Street View has posted some May, 2015 imagery showing I-2 shields in the field.

That was fast... Is it me or is the coverage getting better for both streetview and satellite.

There are still many parts of TX that have not been re-visited by the Google car since 2008-2009.  I've even seen a few spots (not just old forgotten country roads, either) that have yet to have a visit.

Why is it that any street view taken in the US before 2010 is very poor quality, but yet in other countries where the SV was taken before 2010 it is perfectly clear?

Here's a perfect example of poor quality (taken June 2009 of US 412 in NM). https://goo.gl/maps/ComU1

Here's one that perfectly clear (taken Feb 2009 of MX 16 in Chihuahua, Mexico) https://goo.gl/maps/Yw4LP

There are countless examples of this.

[roadman65]

Shouldn't this be moved to the Google maps F***n sucks thread?

[txstateends]

I looked around, there are several on-ramps where the I-2 has been added and seen by GSV, and the intersection at FM 2220 and the I-2/US 83 service road shows the full signage update--but only at certain angles.  Both the SB FM 2220 on the north side, and vice versa, only show the previous just US 83 version that had the cheapie-lazy up-arrow-and-right-side-arrow-together sign with 1 US 83 shield and no directions.  In my initial looking around, I haven't found a main-lane I-2/US 83 post assembly yet.  All the new assemblies I've seen so far have east or west for both routes, no north or south on the US 83 parts I've run across.  Either way, it's good to see the I-2 shield rollout go beyond just the BGS installations.

[texaskdog]

https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=Ahds1cLshfuLSXzd155yQuWbvZx4?p=topps+paint+jobs&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-901&fp=1

Or they could just do it like Topps did in the 1970 when a player switched teams

[mgk920]

Google Street View has posted some May, 2015 imagery showing I-2 shields in the field.

That was fast... Is it me or is the coverage getting better for both streetview and satellite.

There are still many parts of TX that have not been re-visited by the Google car since 2008-2009.  I've even seen a few spots (not just old forgotten country roads, either) that have yet to have a visit.

Why is it that any street view taken in the US before 2010 is very poor quality, but yet in other countries where the SV was taken before 2010 it is perfectly clear?

Here's a perfect example of poor quality (taken June 2009 of US 412 in NM). https://goo.gl/maps/ComU1

Here's one that perfectly clear (taken Feb 2009 of MX 16 in Chihuahua, Mexico) https://goo.gl/maps/Yw4LP

There are countless examples of this.

They bought higher resolution cameras for their USA operations in about 2010.



Mike

[ethanhopkin14]

Google Street View has posted some May, 2015 imagery showing I-2 shields in the field.

That was fast... Is it me or is the coverage getting better for both streetview and satellite.

There are still many parts of TX that have not been re-visited by the Google car since 2008-2009.  I've even seen a few spots (not just old forgotten country roads, either) that have yet to have a visit.

Why is it that any street view taken in the US before 2010 is very poor quality, but yet in other countries where the SV was taken before 2010 it is perfectly clear?

Here's a perfect example of poor quality (taken June 2009 of US 412 in NM). https://goo.gl/maps/ComU1

Here's one that perfectly clear (taken Feb 2009 of MX 16 in Chihuahua, Mexico) https://goo.gl/maps/Yw4LP

There are countless examples of this.

They bought higher resolution cameras for their USA operations in about 2010.



Mike

I always assumed it was because the good ol' litigious US of A was scared for a while about Google Street View cars picking up their faces and license plates because they could be robbed, looked at, recognized, visited or who knows what this sissy nation is scared of, so the folks at Google made the resolution quality so bad it couldn't pick up that crap.  Then in 2010 they realized they could have HD pictures, but give a bunch of people a newly created job of going through all the pictures and blurring out the faces and license plates so this sissy nation can live happily ever after.

[empirestate]

Why is it that any street view taken in the US before 2010 is very poor quality, but yet in other countries where the SV was taken before 2010 it is perfectly clear?

Here's a perfect example of poor quality (taken June 2009 of US 412 in NM). https://goo.gl/maps/ComU1

Here's one that perfectly clear (taken Feb 2009 of MX 16 in Chihuahua, Mexico) https://goo.gl/maps/Yw4LP

There are countless examples of this.

They bought higher resolution cameras for their USA operations in about 2010.



Mike

I always assumed it was because the good ol' litigious US of A was scared for a while about Google Street View cars picking up their faces and license plates because they could be robbed, looked at, recognized, visited or who knows what this sissy nation is scared of, so the folks at Google made the resolution quality so bad it couldn't pick up that crap.  Then in 2010 they realized they could have HD pictures, but give a bunch of people a newly created job of going through all the pictures and blurring out the faces and license plates so this sissy nation can live happily ever after.

Oh, I'm sure the answer is much simpler: since the StreetView program started in the US, it was using the lower-quality first-gen equipment. As newer and better equipment was introduced, it was first used in areas of new coverage, and only later did they return to previously covered areas that already had imagery, albeit poorer imagery.

[triplemultiplex]

Then in 2010 they realized they could have HD pictures, but give a bunch of people a newly created job of going through all the pictures and blurring out the faces and license plates so this sissy nation can live happily ever after.

Google has a program that automatically goes through their images and finds things that look like faces and blurs them.  This is why you often see pixelated road signs, fuzzy automobile wheels and business signs with blurred letter O's in GSV.

[hotdogPi]

Then in 2010 they realized they could have HD pictures, but give a bunch of people a newly created job of going through all the pictures and blurring out the faces and license plates so this sissy nation can live happily ever after.

Google has a program that automatically goes through their images and finds things that look like faces and blurs them.  This is why you often see pixelated road signs, fuzzy automobile wheels and business signs with blurred letter O's in GSV.

License plates don't look like faces, but they still get blurred.

[yakra]

License plates look like license plates.
And so do route shields.

[Grzrd]

This could become part of I-2: http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/adm/2013/documents/minute_orders/0926/6.pdf

Here is a snip from the map accompanying the above Loop 195 Minute Order:



This September 6 article reports that that approximately $13 million has been earmarked for improvements to FM 755, but that there is currently no funding for the estimated $159 million cost to build Loop 195:

Major road construction is also on the table, particularly for a realignment of Texas Highway 755 – one of the only north to south direct routes that connects much of the rural county to the east-west highway corridor.
Future plans for a new expressway bypass would cut out the historic downtown of Rio Grande City, Escobares and Roma entirely. The goal would be to expedite commercial traffic between the Rio Grande City-Camargo International Bridge and Laredo.
"People don't even drive through Highway 83 to Laredo anymore, there's too much congestion,"  said Sam Vale, owner of the international bridge and Starr County Industrial Foundation chair. "TXDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) said you probably need a road here but you've got no funding for it."
There's now about $13 million earmarked for some improvements along Texas Highway 755. To construct the new loop would cost upwards of $159 million, according to a master plan.
It seemed there was also a point of contention on how the new traffic loop was being sold to the community – whether it was for economic development or a relief route for residents hoping to escape flooding.
"We welcome every business but we have at least five accidents a day in that area from the first light (near Wal-Mart),"  said Eloy Garza, Starr County commissioner. "We are going to try to work with them but it's not going to alleviate what they are telling them it will – they are going to build out there (central Starr County) and have legs come down here."

[Grzrd]

TxDOT has awarded an approximately $87 million contract for the La Joya relief route frontage road projects:

This proposed Minute Order for the September 24 Texas Transportation Committee ("TTC") meeting provides that US 83 will be redesignated along the relief route after construction of the frontage roads, and that sections of the current US 83 will receive BU 83-S and US Spur 83 designations at that same time, respectively:

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED by the commission that: 1) US 83 is designated on the state highway system along a new location from 1.7 miles east of FM 886 (El Faro Road) to 0.8 miles west of Showers Road, a distance of approximately 7.9 miles; 2) a portion of existing US 83 is redesignated as Business US Highway 83-S from 1.7 miles east of FM 886 (El Faro Road) to the intersection of existing Business US Highway 83-S, a distance of approximately 6.3 miles; and 3) the remaining portion of existing US 83 is redesignated as US Highway Spur 83 from the intersection of existing Business US Highway 83-S eastward to the new location of US 83, a distance of approximately 0.4 miles, as shown in Exhibit A.

Here is a snip of Exhibit A illustrating the redesignations:

TxDOT recently posted a Notice Affording Opportunity For Public Hearing for the La Joya relief route:

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is proposing the construction of the US 83 Relief Route at La Joya/Peñitas (a new location highway parallel to US 83) in western Hidalgo County ... The project will be constructed in two or more phases. Phase I would involve construction of a four lane divided rural highway consisting of two roadways separated by a depressed median, which would serve as the future frontage roads ... Future phases of construction would include main lanes and overpasses within the depressed median. These main lanes would consist of two 12-foot wide travel lanes with a 4-foot wide inside and a 10-foot wide outside shoulder in each direction of travel. Controlled access ramps would provide connectivity between the main lanes and the frontage roads constructed during Phase I ....

I assume that TxDOT will submit an application for an I-2 designation along the relief route if and when the main lanes and overpasses are built.

[JotheC11]

Mile Posts an exit numbers are up! my exit is Shary Rd, which i believe its exit 139.

[Grzrd]

This proposed Minute Order for the September 24 Texas Transportation Committee ("TTC") meeting provides that US 83 will be redesignated along the relief route after construction of the frontage roads, and that sections of the current US 83 will receive BU 83-S and US Spur 83 designations at that same time, respectively:

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED by the commission that: 1) US 83 is designated on the state highway system along a new location from 1.7 miles east of FM 886 (El Faro Road) to 0.8 miles west of Showers Road, a distance of approximately 7.9 miles; 2) a portion of existing US 83 is redesignated as Business US Highway 83-S from 1.7 miles east of FM 886 (El Faro Road) to the intersection of existing Business US Highway 83-S, a distance of approximately 6.3 miles; and 3) the remaining portion of existing US 83 is redesignated as US Highway Spur 83 from the intersection of existing Business US Highway 83-S eastward to the new location of US 83, a distance of approximately 0.4 miles, as shown in Exhibit A.

Here is a snip of Exhibit A illustrating the redesignations:

.... I assume that TxDOT will submit an application for an I-2 designation along the relief route if and when the main lanes and overpasses are built.

The AASHTO Special Committee on Route Numbering's May 24 Agenda includes consideration of TxDOT's application for the Hidalgo County relocation of US 83 and related extension of Business US 83:



It's interesting that the Agenda description of the route changes includes neither the description of the US 83 relocation nor any mention of the redesignation of part of US 83 to Spur 83 that are contained in the TxDOT Minute Order.  Maybe the Agenda language will be cleaned up before the meeting.

Also, TxDOT's Project Tracker lists the status of the new terrain frontage roads project as "Construction Scheduled".

edit

http://route.transportation.org/Documents/2016%20SM%20Des%20Moines,%20IA/US_Routes_Binder_MOtoWI.pdf

Page 41/86 from the pdf in yakra's link includes TxDOT's estimate that the relocated US 83 will be open to traffic in August, 2020:



Also, the map that TxDOT submitted with its application shows that, notwithstanding the deficiencies in the Agenda's language, TxDOT's request does track the Minute Order (p. 42/86 of pdf):

[yakra]

Now, this is interesting; I didn't see it mentioned anywhere else...
From page 49 of http://route.transportation.org/Documents/2016%20SM%20Des%20Moines,%20IA/US_Routes_Binder_MOtoWI.pdf :

US 83	Texas	Regular	Rio Grande City	53	791	NONE
US 83	Texas	Regular	Jct. Havana	82	820	Ends now at I-2
US 83	Texas	Regular	Pharr	82	841	Crosses U.S. 281  (Revised to account for I-2 designation)
US 83	Texas	Regular	Harlingen	30	871	Joins U.S. 77  (Revised to account for I-2 designation)
US 83	Texas	Regular	Brownsville	26	897	U.S. 281 joins & ends  (Revised to account for I-2 designation)
US 83	Texas	Regular	Brownsville	2	899	Route ends, International Boundary; U.S. 77 ends  (Revised to account for I-2 designation)

[The Ghostbuster]

What's the likelihood of Interstate 2 being extended further west in the near or long term?