Rural Frontage Roads (TEXAS)

[bwana39]

Why does Texas have through frontage roads along all for the newly built or upgraded interstates and most of the non-interstate freeways?

First the name. In most of the state the term is Frontage Road" in and around Houston, they are called Feeders or Feeder Roads. The official term throughout the state is ACCESS ROAD. They provide access to the properties adjacent to the freeways. Access not available from the fully controlled access main lanes.

In the 1960's and seventies, the only places that got through frontage roads were where the freeway was on the exact path as the previous highway and access would truly be shut off. They did build spurs (not numbered or even really maintained that well) to individual properties that had been cut off either from the rest of the same property or a county or private road that was not extended across the freeway. IE properties that the interstate highway cut off the existing access or continuity.

So why continuous frontage roads today? Everybody knows that a lawyer can figure out anything. What happened is that when a new freeway without continuous frontage roads would be proposed, as soon as the route was set, developers would start parceling off more and more parcels. When construction would begin (and at least complete) there would be cut off parcels. It is / was easier to just build them preemptively than to have to fix it.

The freeways already there are grandfathered, and have what they have.  Urban freeways have a far different purpose related to traffic flow.

[kphoger]

When Texas first started acquiring land to build freeways, DeWitt Greer suggested building frontage roads to give farmers local access to the new highways in exchange for a lower price tag on the land, and the farmers agreed to that deal.  When such frontage-road-equipped highways started getting built, businessmen in towns and cities liked the prospect of a highway-side location.  Therefore, frontage roads have become a well-loved staple of both rural and urban Texas society, and attempts to curtail their their construction always meet with public outcry.

[bwana39]

When Texas first started acquiring land to build freeways, DeWitt Greer suggested building frontage roads to give farmers local access to the new highways in exchange for a lower price tag on the land, and the farmers agreed to that deal.  When such frontage-road-equipped highways started getting built, businessmen in towns and cities liked the prospect of a highway-side location.  Therefore, frontage roads have become a well-loved staple of both rural and urban Texas society, and attempts to curtail their their construction always meet with public outcry.

Yes, but they were not built on the early freeways unless the freeway replaced the current highway in place. The access is LEGALLY required. The access does not have to be on the freeway unless the property is landlocked to everything EXCePT the freeway.

[kphoger]

Yes, but they were not built on the early freeways unless the freeway replaced the current highway in place. The access is LEGALLY required. The access does not have to be on the freeway unless the property is landlocked to everything EXCePT the freeway.

None of that contradicts anything I said, does it?  As I said, "attempts to curtail their construction always meet with public outcry".  It's not like Texas hasn't tried to stop building them.  See below.

Minute Order # 108544

28 JUN 2001

New controlled access highways are to be developed without frontage roads whenever feasible.

[...]

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED by the commission that the executive director will minimize the construction of any frontage roads along newly designated controlled access highways in Texas, consistent with sound engineering judgment and with the criteria outlined in 43 TAC §15.54.

Minute Order # 108731

31 DEC 2001

The proposed amendments and the preamble to the amendments, attached to this minute order as Exhibits A and B respectively, are incorporated by reference as though set forth at length verbatim in this minute order.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED by the commission that the amendments to §15.54 are proposed for adoption and are authorized for publication in the Texas Register for the purpose of receiving public comments.

Transportation Planning and Programming

Exhibit A

07 DEC 2001

(3)  Frontage road provision

  (A)  New location freeways and relief routes.  For new location freeways and relief routes, it is the intent of the department not to construct frontage roads.  [...]

  (B)  Existing facilities designated as controlled access.  For existing freeways and other facilities designated as controlled access, it is the intent of the department not to construct new or additional frontage roads.  [...]

This met with huge backlash.  Note how little time elapsed between that last minute order and this one withdrawing the change:

Minute Order # 108902

30 MAY 2002

The Texas Transportation Commission (commission) finds it necessary to withdraw proposed amendments to §15.54, relating to Construction (Control of Access on Freeways/Frontage Roads), as proposed by Minute Order 108731, dated December 13, 2001.

The commission conducted six public hearings at various locations across the state in January 2002.  Over 200 comments were received regarding the proposed amendments.  Many commenters stated that traffic congestion on the state highway system can be addressed better through the adoption of a comprehensive access management policy rather than by strictly limiting frontage road construction.

The commission agrees and proposes the adoption of an access management policy under separate action.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED by the commission that the proposed amendments to §15.54 are withdrawn and the executive director is directed to take the necessary steps to implement this action, pursuant to Chapter 2001 of the Government Code.

[Stephane Dumas]

Speaking of Texas service roads, I mean frontage roads, I wonder when TXDOT will close the frontage roads gap on I-20 at Weatherford between Bankhead Drive and Sante Fe Drive/Clear Lake Road?

[rte66man]

I always found it odd that long stretches of I45 south from Fairfield to Madisonville only have a SB frontage road. I can only assume that they got away with it because of old US75 east of I45; yet it is 2-3 miles away at some points so it can't really be an effective frontage road substitute.

[bwana39]

Speaking of Texas service roads, I mean frontage roads access roads, I wonder when TXDOT will close the frontage roads access roads gap on I-20 at Weatherford between Bankhead Drive and Sante Fe Drive/Clear Lake Road?

Me being mischievous.  My knowledge of this phraseology comes from trying to understand the HORRIBLE to understand VMS sign messages here in Texarkana I-30 construction.

Seems like they have gotten markedly better (and fewer) of late.

I always found it odd that long stretches of I45 south from Fairfield to Madisonville only have a SB frontage road. I can only assume that they got away with it because of old US75 east of I45; yet it is 2-3 miles away at some points so it can't really be an effective frontage road substitute.

If the properties had access on the back side or a side road, they were good.

[jgb191]

Here's what I've noticed from having been born and raised a life-long (South) Texan: 

The technical term throughout the country is called the Frontage Road.
In Coastal Texas they are most often called Feeder Roads (or simply 'Feeder').
In Central Texas they are most often called Access Roads.
In West Texas they are most often called Gateway Roads.
In North Texas they are most often called Service Roads.
In the Texas Panhandle....I don't know, never spent much time in that part of the state.

[kphoger]

Speaking of Texas service roads, I mean frontage roads, I wonder when TXDOT will close the frontage roads gap on I-20 at Weatherford between Bankhead Drive and Sante Fe Drive/Clear Lake Road?

Over a railroad and a creek?  That's a lot of money for near-zero benefit.

I always found it odd that long stretches of I45 south from Fairfield to Madisonville only have a SB frontage road.

One that has always surprised is the near-total lack of frontage roads north of Hillsboro on both I-35W up to Grandview and I-35E up to Waxahachie.

[-- US 175 --]

Here's what I've noticed from having been born and raised a life-long (South) Texan: 

The technical term throughout the country is called the Frontage Road.
In Coastal Texas they are most often called Feeder Roads (or simply 'Feeder').
In Central Texas they are most often called Access Roads.
In West Texas they are most often called Gateway Roads.
In North Texas they are most often called Service Roads.
In the Texas Panhandle....I don't know, never spent much time in that part of the state.

In MO, they like to call them "outer roads".

I haven't heard the term "gateway roads" before.

[-- US 175 --]

I always found it odd that long stretches of I45 south from Fairfield to Madisonville only have a SB frontage road. I can only assume that they got away with it because of old US75 east of I45; yet it is 2-3 miles away at some points so it can't really be an effective frontage road substitute.

Much of I-20 east of Dallas has one-side-or-the-other service roads also.

[kphoger]

In West Texas they are most often called Gateway Roads.

I haven't heard the term "gateway roads" before.

Me either, but, then, I've never had a conversation about frontage roads in west Texas before...

[armadillo speedbump]

Speaking of Texas service roads, I mean frontage roads, I wonder when TXDOT will close the frontage roads gap on I-20 at Weatherford between Bankhead Drive and Sante Fe Drive/Clear Lake Road?

Over a railroad and a creek?  That's a lot of money for near-zero benefit.

That choke point is frequently backed up westbound in the afternoons, if there is a wreck, construction, rain, etc.  Too much growth west of the Hwy 180 split in Hudson Oaks (where I-20 drops from 6 main lanes to 4) so it would be a significant relief.  Traffic does jump onto the frontage/feeder/access/service/yourtermhere road whenever there are slowdowns, plus simply keeping separate the local traffic serving the Weatherford and Hodson Oaks retail hubs.  Has been needed for years.

[vdeane]

I haven't heard the term "gateway roads" before.

First the start trying the gateway roads, and then next thing you know, they're hooked on freeways.

[kphoger]

A quick Google search leads me to believe that 'gateway road' is local to El Paso.

[wxfree]

Speaking of Texas service roads, I mean frontage roads, I wonder when TXDOT will close the frontage roads gap on I-20 at Weatherford between Bankhead Drive and Sante Fe Drive/Clear Lake Road?

Over a railroad and a creek?  That's a lot of money for near-zero benefit.

I always found it odd that long stretches of I45 south from Fairfield to Madisonville only have a SB frontage road.

One that has always surprised is the near-total lack of frontage roads north of Hillsboro on both I-35W up to Grandview and I-35E up to Waxahachie.

I look at it in terms of access.  The one-sided situation on I-45 makes sense to me, because the land to the west was cut off from US 75, but to the east the access was unaffected.

North of Hillsboro, the presence of the old road on one side, and the multitude of county and FM roads in the area, seems to have negated the need for frontage roads, but it's still unusual.  What really stands out to me is the lack of access between FM 67 and I-35W near Itasca.  As a lifelong Texan, an overpass without ramps is outside of my early experiences with roads.  Itasca, a small town, has two exits, and going the "long way" adds only about mile, and FM 67 has an exit where it loops back around to the west, so it isn't at all unreasonable, but it's strange.  I've known a person or two who went that way, expecting that every freeway crossing would have access.  When I first started driving, I went there specifically to see one that didn't, because it was a new thing to me.  My first time on an Oklahoma Turnpike, I'd looked at the maps so I knew to expect it, but it was really strange to drive miles and miles with no exits.

[kphoger]

What really stands out to me is the lack of access between FM 67 and I-35W near Itasca.

FM-3147, too.  Arguably, FM-308 near Milford is just as odd.  I wonder how many instances there are in Texas of a state highway crossing an Interstate without an interchange nearby.

[wxfree]

What really stands out to me is the lack of access between FM 67 and I-35W near Itasca.

FM-3147, too.  Arguably, FM-308 near Milford is just as odd.  I wonder how many instances there are in Texas of a state highway crossing an Interstate without an interchange nearby.

FM 308 is the same situation, but in my early years I wasn't aware of it.  The highly detailed map (singular) I had back in my earliest days of road maps, which was produced by a bank and based on highway department county maps, didn't show that far east.  And in those days maps didn't scroll or pan.  For years by then I'd been interested in maps showing the Soviet Union, East Germany, and Czechoslovakia, but that was the first road map I loved.  By the time I started driving I knew the roads in surrounding rural areas pretty well.  FM 308 didn't hold the same interest because I didn't know about it.

Access to US 77 seems to have been deemed sufficient for FM 308.  A little to the south is FM 934, which has Interstate access.  That one ends at US 77, so I would guess that the ramps were built to provide a secondary terminus at a more major road.  FM 308 continues south from US 77.  It's fun guessing at why they did things as they did, but it seems that the lack of a terminus is why they didn't build access, since not all of the traffic would be headed for US 77 and benefit from the new freeway.  To the north is a somewhat opposite situation, where a short FM road was built from US 77 in Forreston to the freeway.  Presumably because it's a town they decided to build access to the new major road.

FM 3147 doesn't reach the Interstate, but the county road beyond its east end has a non-access crossing.  There's a minor road non-access crossing on the south side of Grandview, but it's an underpass and from the freeway it just looks like a creek until you get pretty close to it.

[kphoger]

FM 3147 doesn't reach the Interstate

That's what I get for trusting Google Maps without confirming...

[jgb191]

In MO, they like to call them "outer roads".

That's a good one!

[kphoger]

In MO, they like to call them "outer roads".

That's a good one!

It kind of sounds like you think he was joking.  ?

There's even official signage all over the state calling them outer roads.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/6s2LzHndrCFrCfsg7
https://maps.app.goo.gl/JuK19X39gp5UdSFz5
https://maps.app.goo.gl/wg3rt5gzEZ9YBP9X8
https://maps.app.goo.gl/rYHH786bVthX5Awp7
https://maps.app.goo.gl/RJd3huXJiBxcxVDj7

[jgb191]

In MO, they like to call them "outer roads".

That's a good one!

It kind of sounds like you think he was joking.  ?

There's even official signage all over the state calling them outer roads.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/6s2LzHndrCFrCfsg7
https://maps.app.goo.gl/JuK19X39gp5UdSFz5
https://maps.app.goo.gl/wg3rt5gzEZ9YBP9X8
https://maps.app.goo.gl/rYHH786bVthX5Awp7
https://maps.app.goo.gl/RJd3huXJiBxcxVDj7

I didn't think he was joking; I meant I like the 'Outer Road' name too.  One might even call them 'Auxiliary Roads' or even 'Local Roads' because they service local communities.  The mainlanes might even be called 'Express Roads' by comparison.

[kphoger]

I didn't think he was joking; I meant I like the 'Outer Road' name too.  One might even call them 'Auxiliary Roads' or even 'Local Roads' because they service local communities.  The mainlanes might even be called 'Express Roads' by comparison.

I was just thinking earlier today that a configuration with frontage roads is basically like express/local lanes.

[Road Hog]

It appears Texas has more names for these roads than Native Alaskans have names for snow. I'll submit a couple more: "Parkway" for the roads paralelling the Dallas North Tollway; and "SH 121" for the same along Sam Rayburn Tollway.

[bwana39]

I didn't think he was joking; I meant I like the 'Outer Road' name too.  One might even call them 'Auxiliary Roads' or even 'Local Roads' because they service local communities.  The mainlanes might even be called 'Express Roads' by comparison.

I was just thinking earlier today that a configuration with frontage roads is basically like express/local lanes.

In urban areas you are mostly correct. Rural areas are a little different.