[gunnut]

Does the “Big Dig” come to mind when you see this?

[a fool in paradise]

I haven't dug through all of the details but I have some skepticism about this project (and not just because of "buzzwords").

Here is the top graphic from the article (I neglected to include in the above posting):

Renderings of existing and proposed sections of I-45 through Downtown. Source: TxDOT.

More surface grade highway. Houston floods. Often.

And as it currenly exists The "Pierce Elevated" has crossroads that go under it. Would they be turned into tunnels?

Then there was this quote:
Given the experience of other cities that have decommissioned highways, real estate currently flanking the Pierce Elevated all the way to its connection with IH-10 would likely rise tremendously in value. The neighborhood immediately west of Downtown would also take a boost. Developers and businesses along the corridor would have ample reason to celebrate.

Our crooked city is run by the property developers in the Downtown business partnership (and has been since at least the 1950s). Tearing down our interstate highway to appease them is not in the public interest.

Neither was building billions of dollars worth of stadiums to appease them.

Neither is handing them our downtown (central) post office or jail all so we can build ourselves NEW facilities and they get prime real estate for more entertainment districts (funded by "redevelopment zone" taxes) and high rent condos.

[smokingfrog]

Bkmk

[hadaclueonce]

Why all the hoopla?

Just ask the local Chamber of Commerce where they want the road.

That is the way they do it in DFW.

[Organic Panic]

Get that dingbat racist Sheila Jackson Lee out of office and Houston will improve immediately.

[Hazwaste]

Corporate bigwigs need to get it through their heads that making everyone drive 2 hours per day round trip in order to be visible in a downtown skyscraper is costing their company BIG $.

Splitting up these ridiculous monolithic headquarters into smaller facilities located on the outskirts of the city or in the suburbs where rent is much lower, makes more sense. Especially in light of the technology available that makes meetings or other communications just as effective as face to face.

But this won’t happen until the current batch of small-minded dinosaurs leading corporate America die off. Yeah, this subject is very personal to me.

[ShadowAce]

TIme for me to start looking for another job where I’m not commuting to the Medical Center every day.

[minnesota_bound]

That is not the way to build a freeway!
You gotta bury it underground like in Boston.

[TexasBarak]

An old timer in Houston is somebody who remembers when the freeways were finished! (this was a common saying when I lived there- 25 years ago!).