Texas: FM 2499 improvements at Grapevine Mills Mall

[Brian556]

This article just came out today:

http://www.crosstimbersgazette.com/index.php/local-news/3127-improvements-to-fm-2499-should-ease-commute

They're gonna make FM 2499 controlled access in front of Grapevine Mills Mall.



Schematics:
http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/ftw/display_four.pdf

Notice the folowing items:
1. Spur 97 is shown on the guide signs, even though it only exists at the south entrance to DFW Airport
2. The exit from FM 2499 to SB SH 26's sign shows only Bass Pro Dr/Bethel Rd, and not SH 26.
3. The BGS's on NB SH 121 ramp say FM 2499 Grapevine Mills Pkwy. They leave off Flower Mound. Nice. They leave off a city, but advertise for Grapevine Mills Mall with an unimportant street name that only applies to a short section of FM 2499, and that nobody uses anyway, beacuse it's just referred to as "2499".

Concerning SH 26: In my opinion, the section of SH 26 NE of Grapevine should be re-numbered to SPUR (XXX) because it serves a different set of traffic than the southern section. This change would eliminate confusion as to where to exit SH 114 for SH 26, as well as eliminate the un-nessesary concurrencies with SH 114/121 and SH 114 BUS.

[txstateends]

This article just came out today:

http://www.crosstimbersgazette.com/index.php/local-news/3127-improvements-to-fm-2499-should-ease-commute

They're gonna make FM 2499 controlled access in front of Grapevine Mills Mall.

Schematics:
http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/ftw/display_four.pdf

Notice the folowing items:
1. Spur 97 is shown on the guide signs, even though it only exists at the south entrance to DFW Airport
2. The exit from FM 2499 to SB SH 26's sign shows only Bass Pro Dr/Bethel Rd, and not SH 26.
3. The BGS's on NB SH 121 ramp say FM 2499 Grapevine Mills Pkwy. They leave off Flower Mound. Nice. They leave off a city, but advertise for Grapevine Mills Mall with an unimportant street name that only applies to a short section of FM 2499, and that nobody uses anyway, beacuse it's just referred to as "2499".

Concerning SH 26: In my opinion, the section of SH 26 NE of Grapevine should be re-numbered to SPUR (XXX) because it serves a different set of traffic than the southern section. This change would eliminate confusion as to where to exit SH 114 for SH 26, as well as eliminate the un-nessesary concurrencies with SH 114/121 and SH 114 BUS.

I still don't understand the over-overlapping for TX 26.  If TX 114 or TX 121 weren't there it might be different, but the way things are now it just comes out looking like unnecessary confusion.

[longhorn]

Thanks for the link , its the first clear diagram that explains the new interchange north of DFW. Looking at the diagram and comparing them to the pics.

http://www.dfwconnector.com/photosandvideos.php

I notice they are not going to build a connector from International Parkway (northbound) to westbound 114/121. From the pics it looks like they are going to stick with a clover leaf like arrangement.

[Brian556]

quote from texasstate ends:

I still don't understand the over-overlapping for TX 26.  If TX 114 or TX 121 weren't there it might be different, but the way things are now it just comes out looking like unnecessary confusion.

SH 26 was originally SH 121. It became BUSINESS SH 121 when SH 121 was relocated. It then became SH 26 in 1980. The reason for the concurrencies is that it originally passed thru downtown Grapevine via a concurrency with original SH 114 (later BUS SH 114), down Main St, then SW on Ira E Woods Av. In 1988, Grapevine wanted to take over Main St, so TxDOT re-routed SH 26 to where it is today. This is the point at whic they should have re-evaluated the situation, and done what I said earlier.