Sam Houston Tollway - Northeast

[FreewayDan]

February 26th is the day that the final segment of the Sam Houston Tollway opens.  Better have the EZ Tag, TxTag or TollTag if you're going to cruise it.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=resources%2Ftraffic&id=7951057

The link has video from ABC 13's helicopter of a small portion north of US 90 (Crosby Freeway).

[The Premier]

Too bad people that wants to pay with cash won't be able to use it. I would really hate to be someone who will have a $100 something bill for driving on it.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Indeed. So what if I'm from another state or country? I have to get an EZ Tag, drive it for the few days I'll be around, then return it. Lots of hassle, especially if I only plan to take it once.

Many other systems bill by licence plate number (with an additional fee if you do it regularly) if you don't have the tag... at least in Canada. Why fine instead of just sending an bill?

[Alex]

Could not get the other link to load, so here is another story on the opening:

Last section of Sam Houston Tollway opens Saturday

HOUSTON – A Houston-area tollway that's been in the works for decades is nearly finished.

The final section of the nearly $1.5 billion Sam Houston Tollway opens Saturday [02-26].

The Houston Chronicle reports it's the last stretch of the 88-mile ring road first conceived by Houston planning officials in 1952. The projected cost in 1960 was $150 million.

The first major section opened in 1988. The latest 13-mile stretch, on Houston's northeast side, runs from the Eastex Freeway to just south of Highway 90.

The Sam Houston Tollway is owned by the Texas Department of Transportation. The toll lanes are operated by the Harris County Toll Road Authority.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett says if you're going to have development, you've got to have roads.

The Harris County Toll Road site update on it

[FreewayDan]

I found a video of the new Sam Houston Tollway-NE going north, then westbound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkEeB_X_lmA

[FreewayDan]

Today, TxDot opened two direct connector lanes to eastbound Sam Houston Tollway-NE: one from northbound US 59, the other from southbound US 59.  They were supposed to open at the same time the new tollway was, but the ramps' construction times went into overtime.

http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1300483991

[OCGuy81]

Been a while since I've been to Houston.  Now that this entire ring road is complete, and is mostly tolled, does the free segment from IAH to I-45 still exist?  Or has TxDot just decided to toll the entire beltway for consistency?

[Anthony_JK]

Been a while since I've been to Houston.  Now that this entire ring road is complete, and is mostly tolled, does the free segment from IAH to I-45 still exist?  Or has TxDot just decided to toll the entire beltway for consistency?

The free segments (from the Jessie Jones Bridge across the Houston Ship Channel to Wallisville Rd., and from T.C. Jester Blvd to US 59) still exist, and AFAIK there are no plans to toll those sections.

Only drawback I have against the finally completed northeast segment, is the restriction to EZ Tag for the mainlanes.  Couldn't they at least provided some cash toll drop booths at the ramp entrances, or will they resort to toll-by-mail for those not having transponders?


Anthony