US 290/Beltway 8 Interchange Animation

This animation video shows the concept for the proposed US 290/Beltway 8 interchange after the proposed US 290 Program improvements are complete. Highlighted in the video are Collector Distributor ramps which will allow motorists easier access to FM 529, Senate Avenue and West Little York; continuous Beltway 8 frontage roads through the interchange; and Direct Connectors between Beltway 8 and the Hempstead Tollway. The existing Direct Connectors between US 290 and Beltway 8 are expected to remain.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• texas
• department
• of
• transportation
• direct
• connectors
• animation
• US290
• Beltway
• txdot

[TxDOTpio]

Thanks for your comment. The older-style mast lighting is not used by TxDOT anymore. According to engineers it was less efficient with higher power consumption and less photometric flexibility to avoid light trespass and light pollution issues on adjacent properties.

[pderry11]

@TxDOTpio I've actually wondered about those older lights for a while now. The design is very unusual and I'm interested in what the engineering rationale was behind them at the time because they don't seem to be used in too many other places around the state: just Houston, a little bit in San Antonio, and maybe Fort Worth.

[TxDOTpio]

@pderry11 Thanks for your comment. The addition of collector distributors along US 290 at the BW 8 interchange will be used in this instance to allow us to put more traffic through the interchange & reduce congestion without completely rebuilding everything. The collector distributors allow the traffic entering & exiting the freeway to perform the weave movements away from the mainlanes, thus reducing the congestion impact created by those movements. Hope this explanation helps!

[TxDOTpio]

@pderry11 Thanks for your comment. The addition of collector distributors along US 290 at the BW 8 interchange will be used in this instance to allow us to put more traffic through the interchange & reduce congestion without completely rebuilding everything. The collector distributors allow the traffic entering & exiting the freeway to perform the weave movements away from the mainlanes, thus reducing the congestion impact created by those movements. Hope this explanation helps!

[ScrewdUPClickV2]

just one question how are they gonna manage this ? this is a little more extensive clearing compared to the katy freeway

[TxDOTpio]

Work on the US 290 Program will be shared by 2 agencies: TxDOT will take charge of the work on US 290, and the Harris County Toll Road Authority will construct the Hempstead Tollway. The two existing corridors will be used to minimize impacts along each roadway and the work will be phased to avoid having major portions of both roadways under construction at the same time. For more info go to their Web site my290 (dot) com.

[randyseck]

This is what America has become. Paved Paradise, Put up a parking lot.

[demmeri]

Just Katy the darn thing already---Katy everything, I'm sick of the world

[refresh967]

@insidejobb no the #1 prority for houston is to biuld 5 new light rails. it will be finished in 2012

[refresh967]

@willubhave no thats just the pre construction. they just widen a bit and get things ready the real construction will start in 2011