Since Texas has nearly 30 million people, you'd think that some of the freeways might get congested in places. Which ones are the worst there?
I-35 in Austin can get pretty bad. I was once stuck in bad rush hour traffic on I-10 in Houston but this is before they expanded it so likely it is better now.
deffinately 35 trough Austin. Got stuck for an hour driving through at noon
U.S. 59 through Houston is very congested.
So is U.S. 75 (Central Expressway) in Dallas:
(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/texas/us-075_central_expwy.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/texas/us-075_central_expwy.jpg)
The West Loop (IH 610) in Houston was always bad for traffic, as is IH 45 between the Outer Belt (Sam Houston Tollway/Beltway 8) and Downtown (specifically the interchange with IH 10).
410 near the airport
I have four nominations for worst traffic in the Dallas area. They are:
I-30 East (East R.L. Thornton Frwy.) from downtown to Lake Ray Hubbard.
I-35E North (Stemmons Frwy.) from downtown to Lewisville (SH 121)
I-635 (L.B.J. Frwy) from I-35E all the way around to I-30
U.S. 75 (North Central Expressway) from downtown to McKinney
Ummm... I'd have to say all of them
The busiest are US 59 in Houston, US 75 in Richardson, and IH 635 in North Dallas (in that order).
The only one in Dallas that goes faster than 35 mph at 5pm on a weekday is the US 175 Hawn Freeway. That's just because it goes through the poorest areas of town where I assume no one has a job :)
Nothing in El Paso is highly congested?
Quote from: voyager on January 29, 2009, 04:49:22 AM
Nothing in El Paso is highly congested?
Seems then I-10 is congested in downtown El Paso, there a plan called for a bypass called "Northwest parkway" to remedy to it http://www.txdot.gov/project_information/projects/el_paso/northeast_parkway.htm (http://www.txdot.gov/project_information/projects/el_paso/northeast_parkway.htm)
The worst freeways in the Fort Worth area are in the east and northeast suburbs such as 121 Airport Freeway through HEB and Grapevine. SH 360 bad too coming out of the airport and really just about any freeway going through Grapevine is bad in "the funnel" where 121/114/635/26/1709/Int'l Parkway, oh and I-35W is rough in both directions.
Got to mention my hometown in the mix....SH 358 popularly known as SPID in Corpus Christi is probably the busiest freeway in South Texas and might be right up there among the more congested in the state as well.
I do think the I-35 Laredo and the US-83 between McAllen and Harlingen traffic are climbing as those metro areas are climbing fast in activity.
i;m not a Texan, but based on my experience I would nominate:
Houston - West Loop 610 - congested majority of day. i've seen bumper-to-bumper as early as 6:30am and often past 7pm - tremendous concentration of office/retail in the area. I believe the Galleria area (adjacent to West Loop) would rank in the top 15 downtowns in the USA based on office space and has the tallest skyscraper outside a CBD. TxDOT just redid the West Loop but didnt add any mainlanes, just lots of auxillary lanes and braided ramps. The section between 290 and I-10 is slated for a major upgrade.
Dallas - LBJ (635) between Stemmons (I-35) and Central (US -75). Its 10 lane (8+2 HOV) but jammed both directions much of the afternoon and evening on weekdays due to large concentrion of office buildings along it and the Tollway. There were plans to add 4-lane HOT tunnels under LBJ for 2+ mile stretch in the Tollway/Galleria area to provide relief but I think that on indefinte hold due to cost
Austin - I-35 between downtown and US 183 and MOPAC (Loop 1) between downtown and US 183. I-35 here is weird and dangerous including a section where original 4-lane is in a trench and 4 more lanes are elevated above but both levels have on/off ramps. Loop 1 is 6 lane and has a RR track down the median. Both highways have limited ROW for expansion.
I don't know if it's the most congested in the number of cars that it carries, but U.S. 290 in Houston always has the worst travel times. It's not uncommon for the Northwest Freeway to have 60 to 90 minute travel times in the mornings and afternoons. The worst section is from the I-610 to Beltway 8, which is only a few miles, but can sometimes take as much as 45 minutes to drive. This is the oldest section of 290 and only has three mainlanes in each direction.
Quote from: Gridlock on February 04, 2009, 11:59:24 AMHouston - West Loop 610 - congested majority of day. i've seen bumper-to-bumper as early as 6:30am and often past 7pm - tremendous concentration of office/retail in the area. I believe the Galleria area (adjacent to West Loop) would rank in the top 15 downtowns in the USA based on office space and has the tallest skyscraper outside a CBD. TxDOT just redid the West Loop but didnt add any mainlanes, just lots of auxillary lanes and braided ramps. The section between 290 and I-10 is slated for a major upgrade.
They couldn't really add any main lanes when they did that rebuild due to some severely cramped ROW. Can't build new lanes with skyscrapers only feet from the feeder roads, after all. The worst offender in that section is between US 59 and IH 10.
Quote from: Darkangel on February 12, 2009, 06:46:55 AM
Quote from: Gridlock on February 04, 2009, 11:59:24 AMHouston - West Loop 610 - congested majority of day. i've seen bumper-to-bumper as early as 6:30am and often past 7pm - tremendous concentration of office/retail in the area. I believe the Galleria area (adjacent to West Loop) would rank in the top 15 downtowns in the USA based on office space and has the tallest skyscraper outside a CBD. TxDOT just redid the West Loop but didnt add any mainlanes, just lots of auxillary lanes and braided ramps. The section between 290 and I-10 is slated for a major upgrade.
They couldn't really add any main lanes when they did that rebuild due to some severely cramped ROW. Can't build new lanes with skyscrapers only feet from the feeder roads, after all. The worst offender in that section is between US 59 and IH 10.
I believe there are plans (or proposed ideas at the least) to widen U.S. 290. When they do, I believe they are going to upgrade the mile or so of I-610 between the Northwest Freeway and the Katy Freeway. But as Darkangel said, it's the section just to the south that is the problem.
I believe upgrading the 59/610 interchange will do a lot of good though. It dates back pretty far, but 610 and 59 have both been modified to modern standards since then, thus creating backups on both freeways leading into the interchange. They probably don't have much room, but it seems like something could be done.
Houston is doing a pretty good job though on reducing congestion, I've read somewhere it was the only city to reduce traffic congestion of the last decade, while, as y'all probably know, there was a huge population boom at the same time.
Quote from: Chris on February 14, 2009, 05:04:12 AM
Houston is doing a pretty good job though on reducing congestion, I've read somewhere it was the only city to reduce traffic congestion of the last decade, while, as y'all probably know, there was a huge population boom at the same time.
This is very true. I will admit, for the exception of a few freeways and bad spots, Houston is pretty easy to get around in. They finally got the Katy Freeway fixed to where you can go 70 m.p.h. during rush hour without worries. The Eastex Freeway is being extended to Cleveland and the North Freeway is being extended to Conroe.
The few problem spots, however, are usually in places that are tight in regards to space. The aforementioned 59/610 interchange has issues. As well as I-45 through downtown with its outdated design and ramps at Allen Parkway that have no merging space. The Gulf Freeway heading into downtown from about Spur 5 to 59/288 can also be annoying. And U.S. 290 is a given. Fixing these problems would probably make a lot of people happy.
QuoteI believe upgrading the 59/610 interchange will do a lot of good though. It dates back pretty far, but 610 and 59 have both been modified to modern standards since then, thus creating backups on both freeways leading into the interchange. They probably don't have much room, but it seems like something could be done.
Didn't 610 in the Galleria area recently go through a major overhaul? Was the 610/59 interchange part of this?
Quote from: DrZoidberg on February 14, 2009, 08:28:30 PMDidn't 610 in the Galleria area recently go through a major overhaul? Was the 610/59 interchange part of this?
The IH 610/US 59 interchange underwent some improvement, but not a major or total reconfiguration. Some of the improvement I remember had the feeders for IH 610 flying over US 59 and some work on the IH 610 North to US 59 North ramp. Then again, I moved out of Houston before construction was complete, so I don't know the full scope of it.
Quote from: Darkangel on February 14, 2009, 08:45:13 PM
Quote from: DrZoidberg on February 14, 2009, 08:28:30 PMDidn't 610 in the Galleria area recently go through a major overhaul? Was the 610/59 interchange part of this?
The IH 610/US 59 interchange underwent some improvement, but not a major or total reconfiguration. Some of the improvement I remember had the feeders for IH 610 flying over US 59 and some work on the IH 610 North to US 59 North ramp. Then again, I moved out of Houston before construction was complete, so I don't know the full scope of it.
That's pretty much it. They also modified underneath the interchange with ramps that feed Westpark Tollway into the Galleria area via Post Oak. Other than that though, all the original ramps and flyovers are still in place.
As far as widening I-610, that's not so. They basically just rebuilt it with some additional braided ramps and wider frontage roads. As far as mainlanes go, it has the same amount it did before, it just looks prettier.
Quote from: KatyFreeway on February 15, 2009, 12:35:07 AMAs far as widening I-610, that's not so. They basically just rebuilt it with some additional braided ramps and wider frontage roads. As far as mainlanes go, it has the same amount it did before, it just looks prettier.
"Pretty" ain't getting me from SH 288 to IH 10 West any quicker. :P
Quote from: Darkangel on February 15, 2009, 03:33:24 PM
Quote from: KatyFreeway on February 15, 2009, 12:35:07 AMAs far as widening I-610, that's not so. They basically just rebuilt it with some additional braided ramps and wider frontage roads. As far as mainlanes go, it has the same amount it did before, it just looks prettier.
"Pretty" ain't getting me from SH 288 to IH 10 West any quicker. :P
Exactly. :) And they went over the top with the West Loop and Katy Freeway too. The overhead gantries do not have standard steel poles, rather, they are made out of molded concrete that has been made into a decorative design. Little too over the top for me. It may look nice, but really!?
I'll tell you one place it doesn't get congested
:colorful: :colorful: San Angelo, Tx :colorful: :colorful:
I-35 through most of the state desperately needs more traffic lanes.
I-10 is bad in El Paso only when it goes near the old 'downtown' area towards UTEP.
And most of Texas, expansion wise, is hamstrung by their use of frontage roads. Which congregates traffic to businesses right off the interstate.
Sykotyk
Nobody mentioned San Antonio....the I-410/I-35 multiplex is in dire need of expansion and modernization. They have been working on practically the entire northern half of I-410, including adding two new massive four-level stack interchanges. The I-10 northwest freeway has been expanded between downtown and the 410 and effectively erasing the ditch in the central median.
I-35 in Austin, I-35E in Dallas, and US 59 (soon to be I-69) in Houston.
100 Most Congested Roadway Segments in Texas
http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/apps/rider56/list.htm (http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/apps/rider56/list.htm)
San Angelo I said my city doesn't get congested, I was wrong I have noticed a pretty large increase in traffic here on Houston Harte Expswy, Sherwood Wy(Business 67), and Bryant Blvd(US 87).
San Antonio Last time i was in San Antonio I(me and my mom) it took about an hour to get about six miles, at least it felt like an hour, It was when they were redoing the west bound side of I-10, then it took anouther 30 minutes to get about five miles, on I-410 while they were building bridges, and what-not.
DFW Last time I was in D/FW I didn't get in any traffic, until I got onto some town but it was friday night.
Austin Last time i was in Austin, there was alot of congestin, the time before that i was there for about four days and on I-35 they shut down all of the lanes except the left shoulder and the far left lane, so everyone had to get over from about four lanes at 70mph to two lanes at 20mph, bad times.
Quote from: BigMatt on September 09, 2009, 09:13:47 PM
San Antonio Last time i was in San Antonio I(me and my mom) it took about an hour to get about six miles, at least it felt like an hour, It was when they were redoing the west bound side of I-10, then it took anouther 30 minutes to get about five miles, on I-410 while they were building bridges, and what-not.
They have since completed that section of I-10. It's MUCH nicer than it was before. All concrete design. Took them long enough to do it though.
Quote from: BigMatt on September 09, 2009, 09:13:47 PM
San Antonio Last time i was in San Antonio I(me and my mom) it took about an hour to get about six miles, at least it felt like an hour, It was when they were redoing the west bound side of I-10, then it took anouther 30 minutes to get about five miles, on I-410 while they were building bridges, and what-not.
QuoteThey have since completed that section of I-10. It's MUCH nicer than it was before. All concrete design. Took them long enough to do it though.
Oh good!
BigMatt
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/apps/statewide_mapping/StatewidePlanningMap.html (http://www.dot.state.tx.us/apps/statewide_mapping/StatewidePlanningMap.html)
US 69 isn't the busiest freeway in Texas anymore, I-45 has overtaken that position.
2008 AADT:
US 69 just west of I-610 = 330,000
I-45 just north of I-610 = 335,000
US 69 dropped from 337,000 to 330,000 from 2007 to 2008, while I-45 increased from 326,000 to 335,000 AADT. Those are massive figures. Only a few freeways outside the Los Angeles area reach over 300,000 AADT.
I-610 saw a huge increase between I-10 and US 69 on the west side of town, from 226,000 to 279,000. Were there roadworks here during 2007? Such year-on-year increases are barely autonomous growth...
I-45 is in desperate need of improvements all the way from I-610 south, through downtown, to AT LEAST I-610 north. Nothing but old inadequate freeway-to-freeway interchanges and narrow lanes with little to no merging space.
What Houston really needs is some sort of a rapid mass-transit system because widening the freeways only is a short term solution (Katy Freeway only had about eight months of congestion-free conditions before it started to have traffic again). Regardless though, I'm sure most of the bridges and structures along the Gulf and North freeways inside of I-610 are not as structurally sound as they used to be. Even tough it's been widened over the years, you can tell they just added onto the original structures (looks tacky from underneath). Most other cities of Houston's magnitude have a rapid transit system, why doesn't Houston?
Rapid transit system would mostly substitute the existing (huge) bus network. Houston's bus system has a significant ridership (600,000). However, I doubt if it would really relieve the freeways. There isn't as much competition between cars and public transport as they usually propagate. Public transport appeals to a limited audience. Houston is not New York :spin:
Quote from: Chris on October 01, 2009, 04:13:21 AM
Rapid transit system would mostly substitute the existing (huge) bus network. Houston's bus system has a significant ridership (600,000). However, I doubt if it would really relieve the freeways. There isn't as much competition between cars and public transport as they usually propagate. Public transport appeals to a limited audience. Houston is not New York :spin:
Houston is planning a massive expansion of its fledgling light rail network.
See http://www.ridemetro.org/News/Releases/2008/06262008.aspx (http://www.ridemetro.org/News/Releases/2008/06262008.aspx)
However, Chris is probably right about the effect or lack thereof that it will have on Houston traffic.
Dallas also has a new busiest freeway.
In 2007, I-35E between Spur 366 and the DNT was the busiest freeway at 276,000 AADT.
In 2008, the US 75 between Spur 366 and Haskell Avenue increased to 299,000 AADT (change: +24%)
The entire US 75 corridor up until Allen saw a 30,000 AADT increase over 2007.