Judge could rule today on closure of Spur 527 lanes

Houston Chronicle ^ | Feb. 8, 2004, 10:37PM | By LUCAS WALL

[weegee]

Unless a judge intervenes, the only exit ramp ferrying traffic from the Southwest Freeway into Midtown and downtown will close this week for a three-year reconstruction, leaving drivers across the Houston region scrambling to find alternate routes.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner is expected to rule as early as today on a request by area residents to force the Texas Department of Transportation to delay tearing down the inbound lanes of Spur 527. The West Alabama Quality of Life Coalition argues that the neighborhoods surrounding the spur and freeway will suffer "irreparable harm" from the flood of traffic looking to get off the congested freeway once the spur is closed.

If Hittner decides against the request for an injunction, inbound lanes of Spur 527 will be shut down at 9 p.m. Friday and will not reopen until the end of 2006; outbound lanes are not affected until next year. The spur rebuild is part of a project to improve U.S. 59 between Sugar Land and the Texas 288 approach south of downtown.

While the spur closure has attracted controversy, all U.S. 59 traffic in both directions will be narrowed to two lanes, creating what is sure to be a serious bottleneck next week as drivers begin figuring out other ways to go.

This piece of freeway is the state's second most heavily traveled, after the West Loop. The Texas Department of Transportation estimates 276,000 vehicles pass through the U.S. 59/Spur 527 interchange every day. With no way to squeeze all those cars through the chokepoint, the department is urging commuters to leave their cars behind and take mass transit or use alternate highways to steer clear of the construction zone.

Many residents and business owners in Montrose, Midtown and other neighborhoods near the spur predict that a traffic snarl on the freeway will cause thousands of frustrated drivers to leave 59 and head for downtown via neighborhood roads.

Friday's spur closure will "be followed by three long years of daily gridlock that will harm neighborhood residents, health, safety, mobility and property values; strangle local businesses; and throw southwest commuters into chaos," said Ray Jones, founder of the coalition, which wants the project delayed for a fuller environmental assessment.

The state insists the construction project must go forward. In addition to rebuilding the 43-year-old Spur 527, it is redoing the Southwest Freeway by depressing the section from Mandell to Montrose, adding three more decorative arched bridges and extending the HOV lane.

"There is one hard fact: TxDOT has no other option to rebuild this spur," said Jack Gilbert, the assistant attorney general defending the project. "Most important is the fact the spur is at the end of its life and has to be rehabilitated. But also, to ease traffic congestion that will come in the future, we have to build the HOV lane, expand the shoulders and improve the vertical clearances.

"It has to be done now," he stressed during a court hearing. "The situation is only going to get worse as the years go by. The bridges will continue to deteriorate. The congestion will only increase."

Bill Peterson, director of service development for the Metropolitan Transit Authority, said the more people take buses and trains, the less congested U.S. 59 will be during the construction. He said Metro will monitor demand and adjust service accordingly.

"This," he said, "would be a good time to try mass transit."

[weegee]

Which is it? The road needs to be closed FOR 3 YEARS(!) to build an HOV lane? To rebuild the highway because it would be hazardous to let this "ancient" roadway remain? To encourage people to use public transit?

Why not just permenantly close the road and tell people they can't take their cars into downtown? It's about as acceptable a proposal. It would do a lot to encourage people to work/live in less congested areas.

[weegee]

Houston PING

[Flyer]

Wouldn't this project already be about completed had the various Montrose associations not demanded the below grade redesign of 59 north of Shepherd several years ago?

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[Squantos]

We don't have a traffic light in our town as of yet but I have no doubt that when and if we do TXDOT will phucitup something fierce !

Stay Safe Flyer !.......and watch that sure to surface road rage plague !

[Allegra]

That spur used to be my oh, so convenient way to get downtown since I-10 got all hosed up. I could get from my door to my friend on West Main's door in 20 minutes.

It's going to end up being like the olden days when people will have to crawl down Westheimer from the west in order to get downtown.

In other words, pack a lunch.

[Rebelbase]

"phucitup"

I'm impressed that you speak Thai !

[Squantos]

LOL.......Saaa waaaa dee Pooh Chi.......regards from nitnoy quay kang !!.........:o)

Stay Safe !

[CovenBuster]

Here's something your Houston ping list might find interesting. There's also a link for DFW, Austin, and some statewide pics.

Historic photos of the Houston area

[Flyer]

See the link above for some great historical pictures of Houston and our freeways

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As always, a FReep mail will get you on or off this Houston topics ping list.

[Dog Gone]

Hey, if you get halfway downtown, you can take the light rail almost to downtown and hit a car on the way.

Pack a backpack.

[anymouse]

I guess I can forget about taking 59 to get to the West side for the next 3 years. Those ticket traps on the 610 loop are going to rack up a lot of revenue for Mayor White as everyone detours around the 59 mess.

Is it me or are does everyone else think that these HOV monstrosities are a huge waist of money and precious freeway lane space? They take out two regular lanes and only have the HOV lane open during peak travel times so busses and a few carpoolers can speed by the traffic snarls caused by these HOVs taking away those 2 lanes. Even the elaborate elevated entrances to the HOV lanes are located in non-obvious inconvenient locations, so many drivers that might consider using them don't bother. Even Rube Goldberg wouldn't have come up with such a white elephant of a design.

[Xenalyte]

That spur used to be my oh, so convenient way to get downtown since I-10 got all hosed up. I could get from my door to my friend on West Main's door in 20 minutes.

How did you go? I need to investigate more crosstown routes.

[jjm2111]

Three years; they should be able to complete it in three months.

[Allegra]

Hey, if you get halfway downtown, you can take the light rail almost to downtown and hit a car on the way.

So...how is the rush-hour ridership on the rail these days, anyway?

[Allegra]

How did you go? I need to investigate more crosstown routes.

I got on the Beltway at Briar Forest, zipped over to 59 North and cruised it on to the spur, getting off at Travis. First light's West Alabama and voila! I'm three short streets away from West Main. Took about 20 minutes on a weekend day or off-rush-hours.

[weegee]

The construction schedule certainly seems too long. It is because the whole area will be clusterf'd. It sounds like they may be doing other construction on 59. If I read things correctly they will be dropping 59 BELOW Montrose (currently it goes overhead), there are 3 bridges that are supposed to be put over 59 in that area (in addition to the ones that have already been constructed).

[Dog Gone]

I think they predicted something like 30,000 rides per day and it's at about 13,000.

[freekitty]

Your response is a scream.