Houston: Inner Katy Freeway project

[ElishaGOtis]

Two public meetings are scheduled for late May.

In the previous meeting for this project, there were two options for the managed lanes: at the same level as the main lanes and elevated.

This meeting introduces a third option, called the "variable height" option, which keeps the managed lanes at the same level as the main lanes west of T.C. Jester, and then uses an elevated structure east of T.C. Jester.

This Public Meeting formally introduces a third alternative, the Variable Height option, which was developed at the request of local agency partners to provide enhanced community connectivity in the vicinity of Memorial Park. The proposed managed lanes would be constructed at the same elevation as the existing general-purpose lanes from Voss Road to west of T.C. Jester Boulevard. The managed lanes transition to an elevated structure east of T.C. Jester Boulevard and remain elevated to I-45. This alternative would require the acquisition of approximately 5.37 acres and potentially displace five residential and three commercial/business structures.

The variable height option has minimal displacements compared to the non-elevated option. Looking at the schematics for the non-elevated option from 2024, this will require a thin strip of new right-of-way on the north side. The 2024 schematic shows more then 8 displacements from T.C. Jester westward, so they must be squeezing the footprint in that area. Hopefully they won't compromise design standards, but lately TxDOT has developed a bad habit of compromising design standards.

This variable height option is almost certain to be selected, since it has been developed in coordination with local partners.

Postponed it seems...

[Faceman]

Double-deck tunnels have only lost their appeal in California's Bay Area region and perhaps the New York Metro area. Seattle got rid of theirs recently.  Honestly, outside of Saint Joseph Missouri, I can't think of any area with a seriously-developed double-decker freeway system, covering a serious percentage on the local freeway network.

There are two in St. Louis on I-64 going into downtown. One is 1 mile. I think St. Joseph is like a little more than 3/4 of a mile. 

[achilles765]

Double-deck tunnels have only lost their appeal in California's Bay Area region and perhaps the New York Metro area. Seattle got rid of theirs recently.  Honestly, outside of Saint Joseph Missouri, I can't think of any area with a seriously-developed double-decker freeway system, covering a serious percentage on the local freeway network.

There are two in St. Louis on I-64 going into downtown. One is 1 mile. I think St. Joseph is like a little more than 3/4 of a mile. 

San Antonio---IH 10 and 35 through downtown, and then again on IH 10 for a few miles west of the split with IH 35.  And they are currently building a second stretch of double deck express lanes on IH 35 North of downtown

[achilles765]

The pair of elevated roadways along the Gulf Freeway are ramps to and from US-59 and TX-288.  Some may think of it as double-decks, but they are just extensions of flyover ramps, much like the elevated ramps from the Sam Tollway onto I-45 or I-10.  The ones in San Antonio and Austin are vertically stacked directly on top and split and then re-merged; it doesn't matter which level you take if you're going through, you'll still end up on the same roadway when they remerge.

Fun fact, until a few years ago, those actually WERE something of a second deck for 45...the northbound one that is now a ramp to IH 69/US59 used to actually connect from Spur 5 back to 45--with an exit for downtown.  The southbound one is pretty much the same--an on ramp from the surface streets with an exit to Spur 5 for the University of Houston.