So it finally begins!
The long anticipated widening of FM1774 begins in August! The relocation of all the utility lines starts end of June, early July. More info on the link below.
http://www.tribunenews.com/news/1901-txdot-to-begin-expansion-of-fm-1774.html
Thought this might be useful to anyone who uses this route to get to TRF. :)
I travel that every weekend from Labor Day to early December & several week days too. That's gonna be painful.
ugh.....just as our 1488 cinstruction ends. :-\
This should be interesting!
Oh fun...not!
Yep, it is gonna be painful. But hopefully they will be done by the 2012 season and traffic will be less painful all around. This expansion is seriously past due. Seems like attendance at TRF grows by leaps and bounds each year; just imagine how bad traffic would be if they continued to put this off. Since we live here and will have to deal with this almost daily, I HAVE to look at the bright side lol.
*sings Monty Python's Always Look on the Bright Side of Life*
How far south on 1774 is Friendship Lane & will the current construction include intersection 0f 1488/1774?
Heading north on 249, there is a flashing light and Friendship is on the left, after that you will see the baseball fields on the left.
If I understand correctly, 1774 will go over 1488, sort of like the 2920/249 intersection in Tomball. They cleared the little cafe that is on the north side of the 1774/1488 intersection, where you have to cross the tracks to continue on 1774, where the billboard for TRF is. So it looks like the overpass will be elevated enough to clear the train and then blend in to the existing road of 1774 at some point.
Dang!! Just read two other articles. One says the Grand Parkway through Tomball is all clear for construction AND they are going to finally finish the expansion of 249 from Spring Cypress up to 1774. I didn't see any start dates for these projects but the funding is in place. Get ready for a mess!
My husband and I went to the King's Orchard today and even when we were driving over there, we could see that there were other contruction areas already in full swing. It looks like a lot of people will be in traffic for a good hot minute.
Bonnie, when you say overpass, I assume there will still be local access at that corner. Hate to miss the Diner. :)
I hit 249 @ Zion so the the Grand Parkway is not a biggie for me. By the time 249 construction actually gets that far, I expect to be retired from vendoring. So, it's all good.
I know how much of a hassle this will be for you, but I'll have to say as a visitor to your state, Texas seems to have a really good highway system, and pretty well maintained. Maybe I've just been lucky with the routes I've taken, but that's been my experience.
Ravic I am sure they will make sure we can get to the diner lol! :)
Merlin I understand that statement. Lived in a few different states and used to travel for work. There are some messed up highways out there. Glad our roads are easy for you and other folks to navigate. :)
You have to wonder... Arkansas has several of the richest people in the country (we are home to the Waltons [Wal-Mart]). When Sam Walton (at the the time, the richest American) died, his six beneficiaries were in the top ten richest Americans.
So I ask...with that much money in the state, why can we have better roads? education? (they have paid for some nice athletic facilities at the UofA). At one time, the highest concentration of millionaires was actually in Arkansas!! Ah...but I'm rambling again...sorry!
Looking at the maps, FM 1774 looks like about the only way to get to TRF. That may cut into attendance this year...Do you think that will be a major issue, Bonny?
This will be nice when it is done. If you leave before dark, getting out is not so bad. But once it is dark, everyone else decides to leave and it take 1 to 2 hours to get out. So hopefully this will change things a bit.
Depending on if I am driving in from home (Silsbee, TX), or driving in from a buddy of mines place (Spring, TX), I either come in from the north or the south. The north back to Lake Conroe usually is easy sailing. The south is always backed up since most patrons are from Houston area.
Not sure if it will affect attendance, kind of doubt it. People in the Houston area really like to go to the faire. Even with the economy the way it has been (granted we haven't been hit as bad as other states) I believe the attendance has grown. The faire is like a marker in time for us indicating cooler weather is finally on its way. Everyone is ready to venture out from the A/C lol. :D
There are plans for a shuttle service so I believe this will help with the flow of traffic on 1774 through Magnolia. I'm just curious where they plan to park everyone.
This will be sooo nice when it is done! We've been wondering for years if they would ever expand 1774. I think it will be worth a year of construction.
I agree. It should help a lot.
Will the construction area go past the faire to105 or is it just up to Tomball? I come down from the Waco area.
Some people have said there are plans to expand 1774 up to 105 but I am not sure if/when that will happen.
There have been plans in the past about running the 249 Freeway all the way to Bryan, paralleling part of 1774 & going up the back of the faire complex. Possibly even taking part of the complex but not necessarily the faire portion. Not sure of the current status.
ugh! I'm going to have to look out near freakin' Sherwood to find a ranch outside of the sprawl-zone of the Houston megaplex at this rate.
I'm just wondering what year it will be when they get I-45 through Conroe done... ::)
Quote from: Rani Zemirah on June 14, 2011, 01:17:45 AM
I'm just wondering what year it will be when they get I-45 through Conroe done... ::)
After the Sun burns out, they will put up lights so that they can keep working.
Same with the Gulf Freeway going to Galveston.
Quote from: ravic on June 14, 2011, 11:04:35 AM
Quote from: Rani Zemirah on June 14, 2011, 01:17:45 AM
I'm just wondering what year it will be when they get I-45 through Conroe done... ::)
After the Sun burns out, they will put up lights so that they can keep working.
Same with the Gulf Freeway going to Galveston.
It would be a little more funny if I didn't have this sinking feeling it is true Ravic... ;D
Yeah, I know.
Just gonna have to see how badly 1774 affects my faire commute. 2978 is to far out of my way.
I've been thinking about looking for an alternate route coming down from the north, cutting across to the west before we get to Conroe... but that's usually where I stop at the liquor store on my way in. I suppose I could just do that here before we leave, though.
Rani what exit do you usually take to get here?
Uhhh... 81, I think. The one for 1488, that leads to Magnolia, so whatever that is. Which is also the one that you have to go through almost ALL of the Conroe construction to get to... ::)
If you take the exit to 105 (north of 1488) you can bypass all the construction. Head west on 105, pass Lake Conroe, pass Montgomery and meet 1774 in Plantersville where you would turn left to get to faire. Nicer scenery than construction too. :)
Thanks, Bonny. I'll have to check that out this year. Does it save any time, do you know? Even with the construction there doesn't seem to be much slowing of the traffic through Conroe, at least not that I've noticed. It's just really confusing if you have to get off the highway for anything.
I just compared the drive time from each exit to Plantersville and 105 takes 38 minutes, 1488 takes 45 minutes. So maybe not a major amount of time saved but less mess.
Well, you don't go all the way to Plantersville from the 81, and you past it from the 105, but I would imagine you're right about the scenery, and the mess... I'll have to give it a try this time, as long as I don't forget anything and have to stop before I turn off.
There is a Wally-world on 105 and plenty of liquor stores. :)
Well, ok then... SOLD! :D
Yes, if I were coming south on 45, I would not come all the way to 1488 unless I had a very good reason. 105 is 4-lane most, if not all, of the way, past the lake & a fair amount of shopping.
Just watch it after the Wal Mart, that's the infamous Montgomery Speed Trap of Doom :)
Hmmm... my foot does tend to get a little heavy once I pass Huntsville, and I know I'm getting close... 8) Thanks for the warning!
I don't know about you guys, but a shuttle full of rennies sounds like an awful lot of fun :D
Quote from: Breandan on June 15, 2011, 03:20:12 AM
Just watch it after the Wal Mart, that's the infamous Montgomery Speed Trap of Doom :)
I would say something about the Mongomery P.D., but we're not allowed to use that kind of language here...
Quote from: captfletcher on June 15, 2011, 06:55:16 PM
Quote from: Breandan on June 15, 2011, 03:20:12 AM
Just watch it after the Wal Mart, that's the infamous Montgomery Speed Trap of Doom :)
I would say something about the Mongomery P.D., but we're not allowed to use that kind of language here...
Oh, I'm convinced! I'll make sure I wear my light-weight driving shoes on that part of the journey... and I won't display the "TRF of Bust" banner in the back windshield, either! ;) heheh
I hear about all kinds of speed traps, and most of them are in Texas.... What's up with that?
To be honest, most of the speed traps I have seen were on I-10 traveling thru Louisiana.
Speaking of speed traps...
There is a genuine incorporated city, albeit tiny, within the city limits of Little Rock called Cammack Village. They are so strict with their 25mph speed limit, they give speeding tickets to kids on bicycles... They are completely surrounded by Little Rock, population is 831, and total area is 0.3 square miles. The have their own police force and fire department.
Don't cause trouble there, or speed, or you'll end up in their city jail, located under the city's swimming pool.
OMG that is so way out there that it has to be true.
I found [img=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cammack_Village,_Arkansas]http://this[/img] at Wiki... not that it'll be 100% correct, but it does back up my story!
What's the actual status on the construction on 1774? Gotta go to TRF tomorow AM.
We didn't run into any construction when we were out there on Saturday, so I don't think it's started yet?
Thanks
Here is a map according to the posted boundaries in the original article. Friendship to 10th street.
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh193/FaeGuardian/zstorage/const-zone.jpg)
Rani, you will save time, better scenery, and 105 it's self is pretty much done, it's down to the feeders now.
Then I'll have to give it a try this year! Thanks, Yrose!!!
Coming from Bryan we come East on 105 and never have any trouble. I know that leaving at the same time we have beat our friends coming from a home just off 1488 near 45 (they should beat us by about 30 minutes if all is clear). That way gets crazy on TRF days! ::)
So far, they do not appear to have started the announced construction. When I was at faire on Saturday, the joke was that they are waiting for opening weekend. :)
When I passed through Magnolia they were dropping off sewer pipe by the side of the road. And I saw some earth movers parked close by. Looks like they are getting ready to start construction.
TxDot agreed to hold off any road work until after the festival.
That is good. It's a challenge as it is for people to get through to faire, adding construction would be.... interesting.... to say the least.
Yes, great.
Bonnie, do you know if that little BBQ stand on 1774 downtown has relocated?
Yes they did. :)
BBQ Hut
31608 Old Hempstead Rd
Magnolia, TX 77355
281-259-7706