The newly constructed 288 was designed to improve drainage and help mitigate flooding (Houston: 2015, construction)

[Redlionjr]

And it quickly turned into a lake Monday. You can't make this stuff up!
https://abc13.com/houston-flooding-h...cast/10689044/

[travelguy_73]

I have to wonder if the "blockage" was real or substantially the cause of the issue. Doubtful, though if it was, then that's probably not a good design (shouldn't there be redundancies? It isn't like you want someone out there all the time looking for blockages--this isn't like a gutter on a house).

There are times when I really want to "let the experts do their job," and times I think whether they are truly experts at all.

[Mr. Clutch]

The only thing that would keep this from happening again is to raise that low-water crossing at MacGregor. Otherwise it will always flood when the bayou is overwhelmed.

Not shocked at all.

[PurplePunch2017]

I'm not sure how a highway project is supposed to prevent flooding. Growing up in Houston.... I believe the highways are designed to flood as a last resort type of thing? No?

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by PurplePunch2017

I'm not sure how a highway project is supposed to prevent flooding. Growing up in Houston.... I believe the highways are designed to flood as a last resort type of thing? No?

I've always heard that but the construction company behind the newly built 288 said it was designed to improve the drainage and help mitigate flooding.

[Dopo]

What do you expect in a city that does ZERO planning?

Grand Parkway @ FM2920 flooded about a month after they opened the highway
At the only spot in the area where the highway goes underground to go below a road
https://twitter.com/abc13houston/sta...892929?lang=en

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by Dopo

What do you expect in a city that does ZERO planning?

Grand Parkway @ FM2920 flooded about a month after they opened the highway
At the only spot in the area where the highway goes underground to go below a road
https://twitter.com/abc13houston/sta...892929?lang=en

That's outside the city limits. I think it's the state that does "ZERO planning" here

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by Vicman

That's outside the city limits. I think it's the state that does "ZERO planning" here

Isn't that Harris County?

[Jtxg]

I've always thought it was weird that we have so many major roadways (99, parts of 90, that weird part where I think it's Westpark 59 and 610 meet) that go below grade level. We live in an area that floods relatively often. Why would you build a road below grade?

Eh what do I know, I'm not an engineer or planner. Just seems dumb to me.

[PurplePunch2017]

Originally Posted by Redlionjr

I've always heard that but the construction company behind the newly built 288 said it was designed to improve the drainage and help mitigate flooding.

A highway project can only do so much..... it looks like two major bayous cross 288. How does a highway project help with upstream flooding miles away?

I'm sure the 288 rebuild is better than the previous design for flooding, but it can only do so much when the Houston metro is adding about a million people per decade, taking up flood plains.