Posted by Rick Denney on December 09, 2002 at 22:19:45:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Where's the tuba?!! posted by Joe Baker on December 06, 2002 at 09:45:47:
No, there was not much existing city at the time. Most of the area that is now the Galleria was empty fields.
But it did have to go over the Texas and New Orleans Railroad, which at the time traced along West Park Road (then called Alief Road). And one of the main drainages in that part of the city was on the other side of that road. Thus, 610, when it was built, had to go up in the air to cross the railroad, and that was why the interchange ended up being pointed as it was.
Having navigated some of the worst freeway interchanges in the country, in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York (or, more accurately, New Jersey), and elsewhere, I have to say this is one of the easy ones. I'll take it any day, even with the inside merges, to the Spaghetti Bowl in Dallas.
Rick "who drove this interchange...this morning" Denney