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Old 10-29-2008, 03:39 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
1,280 posts, read 4,292,168 times
Reputation: 677

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I have always found it bizarre that half of the ramps at the I-35/Ben White Blvd. interchange were only "stubbed out" in the original project. I have never seen anything so stupid in my entire life, in any city, anywhere. It's hard to explain to people from out of town who are truly baffled when they see this.

Anyway, it the project may finally be finished in the near future: Plan in works to finish Ben White/I-35 bridges (http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/10/29/1029txdot.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=52&plckCur rentPage=0&sid=sitelife.statesman.com - broken link)


While they're at it, they should finish the incomplete ramps at Mopac/Ben White as I believe those have sat unfinished for an even longer period of time!
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Old 10-29-2008, 07:29 PM
 
Location: California
412 posts, read 1,751,961 times
Reputation: 197
They still haven't fixed the curb at Jefferson and Northwood intersection that has been a problem for the last thirty years. My Mom complains about that curb from when she was a teenager. It is where she had her first flat. I even sent in a complaint and they told me nothing was wrong!
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Old 10-30-2008, 06:22 AM
 
Location: Driftwood TX
389 posts, read 1,571,609 times
Reputation: 123
Default Ditto

Could not have said it better, and I would add that a ramp for 183 to 35 N sure would make sense...

Anyway, what would bother me the most would be that they sold the projects and took the money for the ramps way back when, and just never finished them..I dont know, we werent here when they originally proposed the interchanges..
We have been waiting for them for 8+years..

Austin-- Land of 65mph highways with stoplights, just to keep it exciting!
Cheers


Quote:
Originally Posted by jread View Post
I have always found it bizarre that half of the ramps at the I-35/Ben White Blvd. interchange were only "stubbed out" in the original project. I have never seen anything so stupid in my entire life, in any city, anywhere. It's hard to explain to people from out of town who are truly baffled when they see this.

Anyway, it the project may finally be finished in the near future: Plan in works to finish Ben White/I-35 bridges (http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/10/29/1029txdot.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=52&plckCur rentPage=0&sid=sitelife.statesman.com - broken link)


While they're at it, they should finish the incomplete ramps at Mopac/Ben White as I believe those have sat unfinished for an even longer period of time!
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Old 10-30-2008, 06:36 AM
 
Location: central Austin
7,228 posts, read 16,103,544 times
Reputation: 3915
Supposedly, the amount of traffic did not justify the ramps completion at the time construction started!

I find that hard to believe. 183N definitely needs a ramp!! I'd do that before the Ben White/I-35 stubs, but what do I know, probably a different pot of money.

In regards to the curb, if it is in the City of Austin, call 311 and call again!
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Old 10-30-2008, 07:07 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,269 posts, read 35,637,527 times
Reputation: 8617
Actually, there just was no money. Unlike at the federal government level, the state can only build what there is money for. Believe me, they had intended to build those ramps (they had obvioiusly done the engineering work), but no money=no ramp. They managed to put the feet to the ramp in, which keeps a place holder, since those are cheap.
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Old 10-30-2008, 07:26 AM
 
Location: Holly Neighborhood, Austin, Texas
3,981 posts, read 6,736,789 times
Reputation: 2882
It's about money.

The Federal Gas Tax was last raised in 1993. The Texas State Gas Tax was last raised in 1991. If you figure the loss of value due to inflation then the federal rate has effectively gone down by 45% and the state down by 51% if you use a 3% inflation rate. Compound this with the fact that road building inflation is higher than the overall inflation rate which puts us in the pickle we are in now.
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Old 10-30-2008, 12:35 PM
 
1,035 posts, read 4,466,073 times
Reputation: 201
Quote:
Originally Posted by verybadgnome View Post
It's about money.

The Federal Gas Tax was last raised in 1993. The Texas State Gas Tax was last raised in 1991. If you figure the loss of value due to inflation then the federal rate has effectively gone down by 45% and the state down by 51% if you use a 3% inflation rate. Compound this with the fact that road building inflation is higher than the overall inflation rate which puts us in the pickle we are in now.
Plus, Texas only gets back about 80% of what it sends to the federal gov't. It seems like if we have the drivers, we need the roads!

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Sma...s/52344191.gif
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