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U.S. 287 Corridor Interstate Feasibility Study in Texas

Started by FutureInterstateCorridors, December 03, 2024, 03:23:22 AM

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ElishaGOtis

Quote from: ski-man on January 02, 2025, 01:29:39 PM
Quote from: mrose on January 02, 2025, 10:36:30 AMI think it is very short-sighted to suggest that you need to stop building roads completely, especially when there is a fairly good need for this corridor to come to fruition.

Maybe if they decided to build it with toll lanes....  :banghead:
Over the past decade it seems as though 90% of freeway lanes Colorado builds is tolled lanes. Making it worse is Colorado has some of the most expensive tolls in the country. US 287 thru the eastern plains is the best route to take I-27. I drive to Texas multiple times a year and do not take 287 anymore due to the dangers on that road. It needs upgraded. I either go over Raton Pass or thru Kansas to I-135 to I-35.

What about a full-up toll ROAD?  :bigass: US-290 and US-183 in Austin come to mind.
I can drive 55 ONLY when it makes sense.

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Plutonic Panda

Quote from: ElishaGOtis on January 02, 2025, 03:43:02 PM
Quote from: ski-man on January 02, 2025, 01:29:39 PM
Quote from: mrose on January 02, 2025, 10:36:30 AMI think it is very short-sighted to suggest that you need to stop building roads completely, especially when there is a fairly good need for this corridor to come to fruition.

Maybe if they decided to build it with toll lanes....  :banghead:
Over the past decade it seems as though 90% of freeway lanes Colorado builds is tolled lanes. Making it worse is Colorado has some of the most expensive tolls in the country. US 287 thru the eastern plains is the best route to take I-27. I drive to Texas multiple times a year and do not take 287 anymore due to the dangers on that road. It needs upgraded. I either go over Raton Pass or thru Kansas to I-135 to I-35.

What about a full-up toll ROAD?  :bigass: US-290 and US-183 in Austin come to mind.
As much as I hate toll roads, I would be perfectly fine with Colorado connecting a toll road to the Oklahoma panhandle up to Limon which would obviously connect to Texas' I-27.

Road Hog

You all can have a discussion about north of Amarillo. Just make it all controlled access from Ennis to about Vernon or so and I will be happy.

abqtraveler

#103
Quote from: Bobby5280 on January 02, 2025, 02:59:09 PMEven I-25 needs a good amount of work. There are locations along that road South of Colorado Springs that clearly do not meet current Interstate standards. A couple of exits down that way are damned near hard right turns. Some of the bridges look like they date back to the 1960's or earlier.
That stretch of I-25 between Pueblo and Colorado Springs was mostly built directly over the old US-85/87 roadway. Some of those interchanges are RIRO interchanges, which were previously at-grade intersections that were closed off to cross-traffic to allow the interstate designation.
2-d Interstates traveled:  4, 5, 8, 10, 15, 20, 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, 39, 40, 41, 43, 45, 49, 55, 57, 64, 65, 66, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75, 76(E), 77, 78, 81, 83, 84(W), 85, 87(N), 89, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95

2-d Interstates Clinched:  12, 22, 30, 37, 44, 59, 80, 84(E), 86(E), 238, H1, H2, H3, H201

Bobby5280

That stretch of I-25 definitely sucks. One of those hard right turn exits is near the BNSF rail bridge that partially collapsed via a major train derailment not too long ago.

Even when CDOT has re-built portions of that I-25 segment they do the bare minimum. They re-built the I-25 main lanes on the South side of Colorado Springs but didn't add any new lanes. They kept it in 2x2 configuration, despite the heavy traffic that occurs there. A portion of I-25 on the North side of Pueblo was re-built a few years ago. Again, the finished product was a mostly 2x2 road. But they did build some decorative flourishes on some of the bridges and ramps.

I-25 on the South side of Pueblo is like a friggin' slalom course. I'll usually drive it going 55mph or slower. And I'll see people speeding through there going 70mph or faster nearly losing it in through those S-turns.

abqtraveler

#105
Quote from: Bobby5280 on January 02, 2025, 09:53:25 PMThat stretch of I-25 definitely sucks. One of those hard right turn exits is near the BNSF rail bridge that partially collapsed via a major train derailment not too long ago.

Even when CDOT has re-built portions of that I-25 segment they do the bare minimum. They re-built the I-25 main lanes on the South side of Colorado Springs but didn't add any new lanes. They kept it in 2x2 configuration, despite the heavy traffic that occurs there. A portion of I-25 on the North side of Pueblo was re-built a few years ago. Again, the finished product was a mostly 2x2 road. But they did build some decorative flourishes on some of the bridges and ramps.

I-25 on the South side of Pueblo is like a friggin' slalom course. I'll usually drive it going 55mph or slower. And I'll see people speeding through there going 70mph or faster nearly losing it in through those S-turns.
That's the unfortunate byproduct of Colorado enacting legislation to prioritize funding for mass transit over roads in the name of "social justice" and combating climate change. They truly believe that by making your drive as miserable as possible, they can force more people out of their cars and onto the bus or the train. Their approach does not appear to be working as they hoped.
2-d Interstates traveled:  4, 5, 8, 10, 15, 20, 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, 39, 40, 41, 43, 45, 49, 55, 57, 64, 65, 66, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75, 76(E), 77, 78, 81, 83, 84(W), 85, 87(N), 89, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95

2-d Interstates Clinched:  12, 22, 30, 37, 44, 59, 80, 84(E), 86(E), 238, H1, H2, H3, H201

Plutonic Panda

They need to do both. Their "HSR" plan is laughable with the first phase averaging something like 45 or 50 mph. Then they claim upgrades will come later to make it faster. I don't even think the first phase is scheduled to come online until the 2030s or later. It doesn't feel like Colorado is serious about much.

Bobby5280

#107
Quote from: abqtravelerThat's the unfortunate byproduct of Colorado enacting legislation to prioritize funding for mass transit over roads in the name of "social justice" and combating climate change. They truly believe that by making your drive as miserable as possible, they can force more people out of their cars and onto the bus or the train. Their approach does not appear to be working as they hoped.

The lawmakers pushing this stuff are grossly out of touch. For one thing: they don't practice what they preach. Do any of these people use mass transit? Hell no. I don't imagine any of those people standing out in the rain or snow at a bus stop. If they're not driving their own expensive personal vehicles they might be using a private car service. Or they might be commuting in the back seats of limousines, getting driven around by chauffeurs named Sanders. Whip out a jar of Grey Poupon™ mustard from the back seat fridge for good measure.

But these same people insist mass transit is good enough for ordinary people. They don't bother to think just how damned spread-out the cities and towns are along the Front Range. They don't bother to think how impractical it can be for people to commute using mass transit. Unless someone lives in a really dense urban area they might be walking a long way to the nearest bus stop or light rail station. Once they're there they might be waiting a good while for the next bus or train. That wait can be extremely not-pleasant depending on the weather. When the passenger is finally on the bus or train the actual ride goes quite a bit slower than that of an automobile. If it's a long ride it will equal lots more stops and even more time lost. That still doesn't factor in all the "interesting" people the passenger may encounter along the way. Personal vehicles at least have doors that lock.

I'm think a bunch of these mass transit and "high speed rail" plans are just good ole boy network scams. Lawmakers make deals with friends and take the taxpayers for a ride.

I'm not against mass transit, but the modes of transportation need to be presented to the public realistically. Warts and all. And they need to not be financial black holes that waste vast amounts of money.

If lawmakers are truly desperately concerned about climate change, why not do a full court press push for work-at-home setups? Cut out the damned daily commute to downtown completely.



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