US-290 between Austin and Houston thread (future freeway-ish upgrades when?)

[longhorn]

I think I remember a gas station at the 290/36 interchange that I guess will be demolished. Hope they move quickly with that project. Never made any sense from an engineering standpoint.

[MaxConcrete]

The legislature has required TxDOT to study US 290 in the upcoming two-year budget cycle which starts in September.

The text mentions railroad crossings, and elimination of the crossing in Giddings would probably require a bypass. While this study may not lead to any major improvements or meeting interstate standards, it potentially could recommend freeway standards for sections between Houston and Austin, or all of the corridor.

U.S. 290 Traffic Study. Using funds appropriated above, the Department of Transportation shall
conduct a study on options for reducing traffic congestion on segments of U.S. 290 that serve as
hurricane evacuation routes and include at-grade rail crossings. In conducting the study, the
department shall consider projected traffic and usage patterns, projected usage during disasters,
and the potential use of the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund to address rail crossing
issues.

See page VII-34
https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB00001F.pdf#navpanes=0

[thisdj78]

The legislature has required TxDOT to study US 290 in the upcoming two-year budget cycle which starts in September.

The text mentions railroad crossings, and elimination of the crossing in Giddings would probably require a bypass. While this study may not lead to any major improvements or meeting interstate standards, it potentially could recommend freeway standards for sections between Houston and Austin, or all of the corridor.

U.S. 290 Traffic Study. Using funds appropriated above, the Department of Transportation shall
conduct a study on options for reducing traffic congestion on segments of U.S. 290 that serve as
hurricane evacuation routes and include at-grade rail crossings. In conducting the study, the
department shall consider projected traffic and usage patterns, projected usage during disasters,
and the potential use of the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund to address rail crossing
issues.

See page VII-34
https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB00001F.pdf#navpanes=0

Nice! 290 is finally getting a little bit of legislative attention again!

[TheBox]

Is it just me or does A) US-59 both north and south of Houston have more truck traffic than US-290 between Austin and Hempstead where the TX-6 intersection is? or B) that all these stop-lights between said Austin and Hempstead makes the truck traffic look more sparse than it actually is?

And I use Google Maps Street View

[Bobby5280]

I don't think images from Google Street View are a reliable way to gauge traffic counts on highways. Depending on the time of day the Google car did its photo pass it could make traffic levels look better or worse than average. Actual VPD numbers for the highways would be the real indicator.

I do know from my own driving experiences US-290 is pretty busy going Northwest out of Houston and also pretty busy going East out of Austin. I did see lots of trucks. The city limits population of Austin is close to cracking the 1 million mark (964,177 is the 2021 estimate). Houston's city limits population is over 2 million. The downtowns of both cities are only about 150 miles apart. It seems only logical there would be a serious amount of commercial traffic moving between the two big metro areas.

If US-59 (future I-69) had more truck traffic than US-290 it might be because of traffic going to/from Mexico or other Gulf port cities. They also might be choosing US-59 as a way to bypass DFW.

[thisdj78]

Is it just me or does A) US-59 both north and south of Houston have more truck traffic than US-290 between Austin and Hempstead where the TX-6 intersection is? or B) that all these stop-lights between said Austin and Hempstead makes the truck traffic look more sparse than it actually is?

And I use Google Maps Street View

That would make sense, and likely why they chose US59 for the I-69 alignment in the first place.

I travel US290 between Austin and Houston very frequently and there's not a lot of 18 wheeler traffic. Most of the freight traffic coming in and out of Austin is from I-35, for Houston it's I-10 and to a lesser extent I-45 & US59/I-69.

[sprjus4]

Does anyone have official AADT counts for both US-290 and US-59, along with truck percentages?

[thisdj78]

Does anyone have official AADT counts for both US-290 and US-59, along with truck percentages?

Data is a little old but this gives a visual representation:

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/freight_analysis/nat_freight_stats/images/hi_res_pdf/nhsmajortrkrts2040.pdf

[MaxConcrete]

Options for improvements at Giddings are posted online, alignments start at page 18.

The yellow option south of town looks best for through traffic.

Locals might want the turquoise or purple options on the north side since they provide improved access to the high school.

I expect the blue option, which adds a large overpass in the downtown area, and green option, which requires right-of-way clearance, to both be nonstarters (I hope).

A decision for the recommended alignment is expected in the first quarter of 2025.

[Bobby5280]

The blue and green options won't do much to improve the existing situation. It's likely if either of those two alternatives was picked TX DOT would have to come back a short time later to propose yet another freeway bypass project around the town.

I kind of like the purple option. It's a bypass, yet is still a short distance from the downtown area. Local businesses might be more friendly to that option than the yellow option that goes well outside to the town to the South.

[armadillo speedbump]

I'm confident they poisoned pilled green and blue enough to get them bounced in the next round.  They could squeeze in a 3rd lane each way just by eliminating parking, but they're going with expanding the ROW and lots of business takings.  Whose tax revenues might relocate outside city limits if forced to move. 

Have to grade separate the railroad and while technically they could have squeezed that in west of the US 77 intersection, the businesses would not go for fronting a narrow sidewalk facing a highway wall and zero street visibility.  A noisy and ugly 1500' viaduct, with possibly a nice covered median for the street below to attract any homeless, will also be unpopular.

It will be a much needed bypass.

[TheBox]

I (or anybody for that matter) never thought I would ever wake up in the morning to see news of a Giddings bypass study.








Between the QoL expansion between Elgin and Giddings 5 years back (it was undivided before that point) and the recent studies of Chappell Hill, Brenham, and now (again) Giddings, we're finally so back.


With the idea of a freeflow expressway (regardless if it's US-290 or TX-71) between the state's largest city and capital city being long overdue for years or even decades, and Houston and Austin growing to all-time highs (for better or worse), it's about damn time.

They should've studied this if not built this years of not a decade ago, but the Texas Triangle corners and to a lesser extent I-69 say otherwise.

[TheBox]

Here's the Chappell Hill and Brenham studies for reference and reminder

Chappell Hill overpass


Brenham re-alignment

[The Ghostbuster]

If all the plans for the Giddings bypass project get approved, how long after the completion of the study and design work might construction start? Would 2040 be a good estimate on when a US 290 Giddins bypass project would be constructed?

[jgb191]

Speaking of Giddings, just my personal opinion, along with the plans for US 290 bypass, I really believe US-77 should also get a bypass around Giddings.  Probably won't happen for a long while if ever, but I would like to see it at least become a major four-lane divided highway north of Victoria all the way to Waco giving a more direct route from South Texas to North Texas and vice versa.

[thisdj78]

How funny, the Giddings Turquoise option is similar to the route I drew up, just farther out from town:

If a Giddings bypass ever happens, should it go and bypass north above or south below?

North minimizes residential takings, so it's almost certainly the path they'll choose

Seeing that the high school is on the north side they should automatically go south, but being TXDOT they will make sure the route goes as close to the high school as possible.

There seems to be plenty of ROW to run a bypass between the school and the town and it still not be too close to the campus:

[DNAguy]

How funny, the Giddings Turquoise option is similar to the route I drew up, just farther out from town:

If a Giddings bypass ever happens, should it go and bypass north above or south below?

North minimizes residential takings, so it's almost certainly the path they'll choose

Seeing that the high school is on the north side they should automatically go south, but being TXDOT they will make sure the route goes as close to the high school as possible.

There seems to be plenty of ROW to run a bypass between the school and the town and it still not be too close to the campus:

It sounds like you're downright giddy about the Giddings bypass, no?

[thisdj78]

How funny, the Giddings Turquoise option is similar to the route I drew up, just farther out from town:

If a Giddings bypass ever happens, should it go and bypass north above or south below?

North minimizes residential takings, so it's almost certainly the path they'll choose

Seeing that the high school is on the north side they should automatically go south, but being TXDOT they will make sure the route goes as close to the high school as possible.

There seems to be plenty of ROW to run a bypass between the school and the town and it still not be too close to the campus:

It sounds like you're downright giddy about the Giddings bypass, no?

As someone who drives thru Giddings on the way from Williamson County to Houston almost monthly, very much so...yes!