Hardy Toll Road
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The Hardy Toll Road runs from Interstate 45, north of Houston just below the Harris County line, to Interstate 610, near central Houston. The road generally parallels Interstate 45. The portion from I-610 to Crosstimbers Road is known as Spur 548, although this is unsigned.[1] [2]
Construction on the toll road started in September 1984 and the entire road was complete by June 1988. [3] The toll road runs 21.6 miles [3] and costs $2.50 to drive its full length ($1.25 north of Beltway 8 and $1.25 south of Beltway 8). A four-mile connecting road to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport requires 75 cents toll. At each toll booth, a 25 cent discount applies to electronic EZ TAG users.
The road is named for nearby Hardy Street, which in some areas make up the frontage roads for the toll road.
A large portion of the southern segment resembles Austin's Mopac Expressway in that an active line of the Union Pacific railroad runs along its median. Like other toll roads in the Houston area, the speed limit is 65 mph, even inside Beltway 8.
Contents |
[edit] Planned Extensions
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This article or section contains information about a planned or expected future road. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the road's construction and/or completion approaches and more information becomes available. |
[edit] Southward
Future plans are to extend the toll road south an additional four miles into downtown Houston (the northern most mile marker is 25, though the current road is only 21.6 miles long). However, no firm timetable has been set for the extension. It is expected that the toll road will deviate from Hardy Street south of I-610 and follow Maury Street [4] to connect with the Eastex Freeway near I-10,[5] as part of the ramp connections have already been built.[6]
[edit] Northward
As the population of Montgomery has grown quickly in recent years, the need for a northward extension is being evaluated. Originally, the plan was to construct the extension along the right of way for the railroad. However, recent growth in Oak Ridge North will require that the Hardy Toll Road extension deviate from this right of way in places. Feasibility studies have evaluated possible routes between FM 1314 and the San Jacinto River, with the northern terminus planned to be at Loop 336. No plans for construction have yet been formulated.[7]
[edit] Lane count
The following are the number of mainlanes in each direction, as of September 2006:
- 3 lanes each way between Interstate 610 and Beltway 8
- 3 lanes southbound, 2 lanes northbound between Beltway 8 and FM 1960. Construction scheduled for completion in June 2007 will add another northbound mainlane to this section.[8]
- 2 lanes each way between FM 1960 and Interstate 45 (northern terminus)
[edit] Notes
- ^ Texas Transportation Commission Agenda, Thursday, February 22, 2001.. Texas Department of Transportation. Last accessed September 29, 2006.
- ^ State Highway Spurs. Last accessed September 29, 2006.
- ^ a b HCTRA Project History. HCTRA. Last accessed September 29, 2006.
- ^ Houston Photos, March 2006. Erik Slotboom. Houston Freeways. Last accessed September 29, 2006.
- ^ Hardy Toll Road goal still two years away. Rad Sallee, Houston Chronicle. June 12, 2006. Last accessed September 29, 2006.
- ^ Satellite image: Exit ramp from Northbound U.S. 59 to Westbound Interstate 10 showing stub for future ramp to Northbound Hardy Toll Road. Google maps. Last accessed October 23, 2006. (Note: U.S. 59 in this image is shown under construction, prior to 2003.)
- ^ Hardy Toll Road extension is eyed into Montgomery County. Beth Kuhles, Houston Chronicle. May 29, 2003. Last accessed September 29, 2006.
- ^ Motorist praises driver of Safe Clear wrecker. Rad Sallee, Houston Chronicle. July 2, 2006. Last accessed September 29, 2006.
