I-10 East - Katy Freeway - World's WIDEST Freeway - Houston - Texas - 4K Highway Drive
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ม.ค. 2022
- Everything is BIGGER in Texas, including the freeways. On this video we take a ride down the Katy Freeway from the suburb of Katy into Downtown Houston. The widest section occurs around the 13:45 mark.
Filmed: December 2021
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From Wikipedia:
From the western suburb of Katy to downtown, I-10 is known as the Katy Freeway in Houston. This section was widened in 2008 to as many as 26 total lanes, counting the six lanes of the access (frontage) road, which feature traffic signals, and driveway access and are not limited-access and therefore not technically part of the freeway itself but are directly adjacent. Between the West Beltway and the West Loop, the Katy Freeway features a basic configuration of 14 lanes, featuring seven lanes each direction. This cross-section swells with auxiliary lanes, ramp lanes, and the inclusion of the frontage access roads, although those lanes are controlled by traffic signals. Including auxiliary lanes, ramp lanes, and the access frontage roads, the minimum lane count is 22 total lanes. In this section, the width is 24 lanes at multiple locations and up to 26 lanes east of Gessner Road (12 main lanes, eight lanes of access roads, and six mid-freeway HOT/HOV lanes). From the Fort Bend county line to I-610, there is a minimum of four main lanes in each direction. The maximum number of undivided lanes at any point on the freeway is nine in the eastbound direction approaching Antoine Drive (though this includes one exit-only lane); this is one of the widest sections of undivided highway in a single direction in the world. The widest right-of-way, 556 ft (169 m), occurs at the Katy Freeway's intersection with Bunker Hill; at that point, the expansion plans called for six main lanes plus two toll lanes in each direction along with 10 lanes on the feeder/frontage roads. While this section still features 14 through continuous lanes through the Bunker Hill interchange, when auxiliary lanes, ramp lanes, and the frontage access roads are included, the actual striping after construction delineates 29 lanes, including all 26 of the planned lanes plus an additional lane in each direction to enter or exit the toll lanes and one more turn lane on the eastbound feeder road.
Between I-610 and I-45 west of downtown, the interstate contains at least five main lanes in each direction. Before 2008, this section had traditionally been the widest section of I-10 in the Houston area and the only one with a significant portion below grade. A project completed in 2014 added one extra auxiliary lane in each direction between Shepherd Drive and Taylor Street.[citation needed] In addition, the eastbound feeder road that ends at Studemont was extended to Taylor Street. As I-10 travels through downtown, it junctions with I-45 and I-69/US 59. Both interchanges feature left exits, allowing several lane shifts for through traffic. I-10 provides access to Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, and also runs through the campus of the University of Houston-Downtown
The section east of downtown Houston is officially known as the "East Freeway", although it is widely known by locals as the Baytown East Freeway or colloquially shortened to the Beast, due to a marketing push by Baytown,[citation needed] one of the largest cities in the Greater Houston Area. I-10 reaches Beaumont at an interchange with US 69/US 96/US 287 and it runs concurrently with the US Highways for 2.63 mi (4.23 km) and curves to the east again at a second interchange. At College Street (US 90), I-10 expands to eight lanes. I-10 meets US 90 again near the recently reconstructed Purple Heart Memorial Bridge over the Neches River; these highways travel concurrently the remainder of the way across the state. I-10 reaches Orange County and passes through the towns of Rose City, Vidor, Pinehurst, and Orange. Business US 90-Y splits off and comes back to I-10 near the Sabine River Bridge over the Sabine River. At the river, I-10 finally leaves Texas and crosses into Louisiana.
Time to add more lanes before it cloggs up 💪💪💪
But yet oh so classic Texas!
I lived in Katy from 1999-2014 and got to see the entire widening process from start to finish. Starting at SH 6, the present day westbound frontage road was actually a separate road called Old Katy Rd. Between that and the old frontage road was a power easement and defunct railroad track. That gives you an idea of how much right of way was used to widen the freeway.
Wow. Sounds like a massive undertaking, and quite expensive.
That’s cool; I’m glad you got to see that.
I believe the width of the right of way was over 500 feet, correct?
@@MileageMikeTravels it used to be only 3 lanes on each side and a center hov lane that went one way only during certain times. So 7 lanes total through the entire city.
Where do u live now
That's how you don't do transportation.
😂
We lived in Katy from the time my daughter was 7 until she was 13 (the 1990s). Westheimer then was only two lanes and the Grand Parkway had just started building. She & her fiance were in Houston last week and took a drive past our old house (west of Cinco Ranch) plus other places she remembered. She says it "blew her mind" how much things have changed. I can hardly wait to see all her pics!
Wow it was two lanes? You would never know that based on how it looks today
Lived in the Katy area for 56 years and watched I-10 go from two lanes to this.
There were no subdivisions,it was all farmland from HWY 6 all the way to Katy Tx.
Use to duck and goose hunt a lot of it.
Cool, so by 2 lanes do you mean 2 lanes total or 2 in each direction?
@@thevarietykid686
Two each way.
@@TrulyUnfortunate also when you say you lived in Katy for 56 years, when did you begin living there, was it 56 years ago or longer than that?
@@thevarietykid686
Born in the Katy area.
I remember this. I lived in Bear Creek as a small kid then we moved put to Fry and Saums area. There was nothing in between hwy6 and fry. In Katy we had cows walking through our yards. Now, it's all concrete. I don't recognize it anymore.
Very wide but still gets so congested during rush hour. Will only get more congested over time
Because adding lanes will never solve traffic, this is the perfect example
The Katy Freeway is perfectly exemplary of induced demand - more roads and lanes don't solve traffic, however hard you try
The Katy Freeway is perfectly exemplary of induced demand - more roads and lanes don't solve traffic, however hard you try
It’s so nice but at the same time, I can strongly agree with this statement, great explanation!
@@grassytramtracks That's because everyone's moving to the houston metro area. Traffic would be even worse if the highway wasn't expanded.
This stretch of freeway takes the phrase "everything's bigger in Texas" quite literally
Sickening
I'm not familiar with Houston at all, but I can tell it's definitely a huge city. I'm from Dallas and we have a few decently wide freeways too but none that go that straight and flat for such a long way. Anyway that was really fun to watch, really nice video!
I'm so happy you made it to Houston! First time watching a Mileage Mike video and I knew the buildings and streets we were passing by! lol
Lol yes finally here.
WOAHHH, MIKE! Underrated video with me finally I get to see the amazing Katy Freeway from you! This is possibly your best video yet!
Yeah definitely one of my favorites so far.
Great Video. Never thought I'd love the TXDOT road groove sound so much.
👍👍👍
Yep it’s my favorite road sound in America :D
@@jonthegamerboy yup
As a german its insane seeing these overpasses and high bridges, viaducts and amount of lanes. Although i know that from a city planning and living point of view this is dystopian.But nonetheless really cool.
The freeway is so wide that it’s pretty common to see people going 100+ mph and not noticing at all. People street race all the time on this freeway, so 200 mph seems more like it.
@@aimxdy8680 yeah it looks like a concrete river😂
Get yourself an 8-5 job in Houston, live a few summers here, then come back to compliment this fu*kery all you want.
@@Cycology_Major im not complimenting…
Come to Delhi then you will be amazed❤
So this has another stack interchange. Nice. Mike. You've outdone yourself. That means you did great. Keep these coming.
Appreciate it!
the major expressway from the philippines where i live - the north luzon expressway - which is basically the only tollway in the region (besides the aptly-named south luzon expressway) spanning 50 km up from my city also expands to 6 lanes per direction by the second exit but gradually narrows down to 2 lanes per direction by the end (most of it is at least 3 lanes per direction)
I think its a BAD idea for the Philippines to copy USA in terms of lane expansion. Most cars only have the driver as passenger.
Imagine wasting money on road expansion that only 5 percent of road users benefit?
In the city where I live, our road has 18 lanes! (9 lanes per direction) but still traffic. 18 LANES BUT STILL TRAFFIC! Improve Railway based transportation than personal transport.
Lane expansion and Elevated roads DOES NOT SOLVE TRAFFIC. TRAINS DO! We should copy Europe / Asia. Invest in MRT Lines
Great video! I been waiting for this one.
Thanks! Finally in Houston.
All those years trying to make it as wide as it is and it still gets congested with traffic
Even though it's generally established that more roads and lanes don't improve traffic, it's popular because the average person doesn't know what induced demand is
Well Houston is growing pretty fast. If the population was stagnant or declining, like say a Detroit then traffic would flow smoothly. Even with that the part where the traffic usually backs up is where the lanes drop, not the wider sections.
@@ZeusAVI Even if that were the case, the city is more preoccupied in expansion rather than investing on fixing the decaying infrastructure inside the loops. The idea that more parking lots and widening of the roads will clear traffic is the equivalent of saying that the cure for obesity is loosen up the pant belt
@@link2442 That’s a cute analogy but not really applicable in the way that you used it. Obesity/weight is a negative that one will attempt to reduce, population growth is seen by most cities as a positive that they’ll try to encourage and with a growing population, expanding transportation networks are required to facilitate said growth. The “solution” to traffic is near-zero or negative growth (population loss), just as the solution to obesity and requiring a larger belt is weight loss.
@@ZeusAVI Nothing cute about it, just vast amount of space being wasted with subsidized parking and wide roads. Lager metropolis cities like Tokyo, Paris, London are cities much larger than Houston will ever be yet make wise use on how that infrastructure is being utilized.
This looks so good! I wish I could drive there
I live in north Houston, and I can say that all the freeways are congested, but I-45 especially, and the Katy Fwy is usually pretty congested, looks like you got lucky.
haha maybe you just need to add a few more lanes im sure it will fix your traffic issues ;)
@@cyberRowboatnonsense! Widening never solves anything! Cant yall guys learn anything or yall just plain fucking dumb? If yall add more lanes, it becomes dangerous and more packed! Plus, if it gets congested, it will be more harder and longer to drive and exit!
how tf is it usually congested with like 20 lanes bru 😭😭
@@mattp0576 it can because of demand. If theirs more traffic on the feeder road then the freeway, more traffic will come on the freeway. It doesnt STOP! it keeps building up!
what an infrastructural nightmare
Not Just Bikes is crying
I felt this video lol. Still can’t believe I did this drive daily before moving to midtown. Fun to drive though , second only to the NJ turnpike.
Welcome to Houston!
I-10 From Katy to the 610 is the best freeway in the entire city.
Also BEWARE: almost NOBODY follows the speed limit! (When it isn't congested anyways)
Lol true
@@MileageMikeTravels Can you do US-287? You will take US-59 out of Texas making our way to Arkansas.
I'm not surprised, Texas has the fastest drivers and average speed limits of 75mph. There is a specific highway in Texas (Texas 130) that has 85mph.
Does anyone follow the speed limit on any freeways?
@@torkelsonstan6967 if most people are going over the speed limit then it's illegal to follow the speed limit. It is illegal to impede traffic
Edit: It’s actually never legal to go above the limit in most states.
Wow, nice video . Love it .
Thanks
Awesome drive along I 10 Katy Freeway Houston Texas!
Yes, finally my city!! Welcome to Houston!!
I lived in Katy for 15 years and now in Brookshire. Still Houston surroundings. When I went to Tennessee some residents asked where do I come from I said Houston Texas and they were so excited and said “where all the crazy bypassed are at? I think that’s really awesome! Looks like some hot wheels stuff” lol I was happy to hear that from someone that doesn’t live in Texas
Take 4 lanes away and build two rail tracks instead.
That’s a genius Idea now people can make a several hour walk from their job to the highway, climb some stairs that go all the way up to the highway and get on a train that drops them off at their exit then they can walk another few hours to their house or the nearest bus stop. Then they go home and sleep for 30 minutes before waking up at 3am just to walk 4 hours to get to a train and another several hours to get to work. Just Brilliant.
@@TheBlackAztec3 Congratulations, you didn’t understand anything.
@@TheBlackAztec3Lil bro has never seen a train in their life💀💀
yes more highways driving yes yes. thank you so much. you have a good day.
More to come!
thank you .nice
Man loved driving Houston into Katy then to Sugarland. Not for the faint at heart. I had a rental, and got stuck with a Mazda suv. Wish I had my mustang on them texas street.
Thanks for the awesome ride through Texas, Mike.
👌
@@MileageMikeTravels Do I-45!
@@kennypalermo9071 soon
I-10 (Katy Freeway) is the widest freeway
I've ever seen in Texas.
That is scary.... because think of all that traffic on there! and thats whats causes road rages!
That wasn't Houston city limits when you were coming across the first stack. You were still in Katy. Great video!
Where do you estimate it starts? Google Maps shows the Houston limits right before the TX-99 interchange.
@@MileageMikeTravels Not exactly you're not officially in the city limits until you're around Hwy 6.
Katy or Houston same shit.
@@MileageMikeTravels Actually, Houston city limits starts even further back than where you marked them. Areas you had marked as Katy were actually in Houston. Katy city limits specifically stop at Katy Fort Bend Road, which is right where the on-ramp where you got on the Highway ends . After that, the areas along the freeway are areas that are under limited annexation to Houston. This means that Houston can say it owns it and collect sales taxes, but Houston doesn't have to provide a full suite of services, like fire or police. Houston full annexation city limits starts around Greenhouse Road, just west of the Texas Children's Hospital West Campus. After that, you enter Houston's energy corridor neighborhood.
This is great. Are you planning to do the entire Grand Parkway (TX-99) on this trip?
Dam; SH 99 is being taken seriously by TXDoT. I didn't expect to see an interchange. The last time I passed by the area was in July 2003.
Welcome to my home town!
Good to be here!
I been on the Katy Freeway Southwest Freeway and East Freeway in Katy Rosenberg Baytown and Beaumont or Sealy. Columbus Texas is about 75 miles from Houston.
I love at the 8:02 mark...I can get over with my DV Plates and ride without toll payments. I can't wait to get back to H-Town (Katy/Richmond).
Does the TXDOT Road sound Remind me of the FDOT Bridge Sounds?
GA / NC / VA sounds mixed with TXDOT at the beginning (about 0:35 to 2:00)
Nissan GTR at 11:17 on the far right
좋은 영상 잘 보고 갑니다.
Living near a city that struggles to get more than sh*tty 2-lanes freeways, this video made me kind of jealous.
7:56: There's an excellent Drury Inn at the corner of the Katy and Texas Hwy. 6. I highly recommend it.
Texas knows how to do it BIG, especially when it comes to stacks. This is a grand freeway. The first time I drove the Katy was westbound back in 2010. My ex and I arrived in town during the evening rush, but I was not sitting in traffic. I got in the tollway lanes and stuck to the lane marked "HOV".
This is not too far away from where I live!I live in the Houston area!
I do my graduation from Lamar university Beaumont Texas so from Houston to Beaumont I used to travel 3 days in a week to study my master in mechanical engineering and come back and do job in Westheimer and hillcroft.also I live for 8 years from 2000 to 2008 continuously on I 10 and highway 6
17:24 The white Acura sedan is the definition of the "left lane hog".
Instead of widening the Katy Freeway, they should improve the interchange of I-10 and I-45, probably all of the slow down in traffic is people moving from the right to the left and vice versa, or people who try to outsmart everyone else by going in the faster lane to get around traffic, then create the same traffic for others when making quick lane changes using their brake before changing lanes at the last minute.
I found that after the lunar eclipse a few years ago, it was faster to drive in the right lane of a four lane divided section of I-5 because most people getting onto the highway were trying to get into the left lane because they think it must be faster.
Y'all don't gotta do all this just build a Maglev
Yeah let’s get right on that me and you both know it’s not happening
I would love to see downtown Houston
Very soon you will.
Did you do a night video of Houston's freeways? They're awesome at night!
I have one coming. Didn’t get as much as I wanted due to the weather.
@@MileageMikeTravels So, that means you didn't film much in Houston as you would hoped? Meaning fewer videos coming for Houston than expected?
@@ryanearles2024 No I have plenty of content, just not much night driving on the highways.
@@MileageMikeTravels Oh, ok. That's still cool! Because Houston is one of my favorite cities!
@@ryanearles2024 I like Houston but I like San Antonio better because I took I 10 between Houston and San Antonio
Those lane-huggers claiming the left lane would annoy me greatly as a European.
The idea behind a freeway is to drive as much right as possible, using the left lanes only temporarily to pass slower vehicles. Here in Europe it's not allowed to pass slower vehicles at their right side, it must be the left side. People claiming the left lane to long, are also ticketed here in Europe for blocking traffic...
Here in Europe, 75% of Americans I've seen driving in this video would've had a ticket within the first 15 min...
I been to Houston and Katy Texas.
Nice!
They expanded I 10 Katy Freeway from Exits 732 to 713 which is outside of Sealy
😡 ugh! They need to stop!
Hey houston !
Glad I made it safe. Lol
Respect to everyone who was involved in this project
With so many lanes I wonder how often accidents (and people looking at them from opposite direction) will cause traffic. If you drive daily to work how often will you get stuck in traffic purely due to this? 5%, 10%, 30%, 50% of the days? I have only ridden on 2x by 3-4 lanes and with better quality entrances and driving than I see here and still it happens way too often (I would estimate about 5-10% of time).
I’ve seen in a lot of videos that the tone of the Texas road noises is really nice. However I’ve seen some other videos where the road noise sounds different. This. However is a good road noise and I’ve heard it on some other videos before. I hope when I get the chance to visit Texas my family chooses a car with the same exact tire noises.
Was in Dallas in June and got to experience the Texas Road noises. Just as good or better than I expected. Wanted to drive on them all day.
This is actually tied with the MacDonald/Cartier Freeway in Toronto
Actually the 401 is wider because it is pure freeway. I-10 has Frontage Roads. The segment from the 403/410 to the 427 is very wide
The GTA 401 is a 3x3x3x3 configuration and 4x4x4x4 in some segments so if you account for dividers spaces, the span of the 401 is probably wider. This segment of I-10 have 6 undivided lanes, though, which I don't remember seeing in Toronto.
She caught the Katy
Left me a mule to riiide
463 lanes but traffic is still bad
Speed limit on it seems like 90 lol 😆
Everything is bigger in Texas including interstate 10[Katy freeway]
Yessir indeed!
sup Don
@@MarsNeedsGuitars1 nothing much
Using 59 and 45 occasionally
are you allowed to overtake from the right side in america?
Laws say not to, but I dought that that law is enforced at all. Overtaking on the right wouldn't be so common if there weren't so many freaking left Lane hogs
I hate driving in Houston
What if hwy 6 and i 10 had an interchange? 🤔
That is really wide of a highway
I belong to Pakistan and Houston was my second home
Some guy is still hogging the left lane… theres 6 lanes and people are hogging all of them
Trying to figure out why I'm watching this
That freeway thru Houston is drop dead gorgeous and wide! Just, wish there were some palm trees to go along with it. lol
I imagine last year’s deep freeze damaged many palm trees
@@DWNY358 Pretty likely. If there are any Palm Trees in Houston. lol
You should see it at rush hour, every lane full😁
@@mc64403 Geez, that jammed huh? Yikes...
You can fit the state of Rhode Island in Harris County. Every freeway is jammed packed at rush hour. It seems there is an 18 wheeler overturned somewhere everyday.
I could drive this but only from the first exterior lane.
I ❤️ my city
Katy the town of actress Renée Zellweger ....
Before bad plastic surgery ruined her face. I can't even pick her out of a crowd now, she looks so different.
February 18, 2023
I live 8 years
The 401 is wider than this
Widest freeway and widest and biggest state
I want to drive on this freeway!
You should. It’s quite the experience.
Dang, Bubba, we need more lanes downtown! This is essentially insane, but considering Houston is number-4 market these days, and Texas does nothing small... Wonder if their EZ Tag is connected to most of the rest of the country's EZ Pass?
Dang your old... im gonna stop you right there because adding more lanes is dangerous! Not just that, it makes traffic alot worst then it is! You will be stuck in one longer then the shorter freeways. And it will have trouble emptying the freeways because once people exit, the lanes becomes packed because of demand! Demand for small roads is needed too and houston is ignoring that! Its like they dont want people driving on the streets! Or they dont care! Hmm...
Houston planing to build second floor IH 10 for flights cars FREE WAY 2030
That would be nice if you do I 10 Katy Freeway at night
Shit go during rush hour lol
Lol that would be a pretty long video
Truckers Rock ! Let them truckers roll ! Let's go Brandon ! 🇺🇲💪🇺🇲💪🚚🚜🚛🚜👪👪👍🤠
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Great video! This freeway is amazing and the widest.
Wide highways aren’t amazing
There's nothing amazing about bad urban planning
Blessings in an abundance of the faith. I salute you. 😘🙏Grace and peace be unto you and to this place. God bless you. 🤍🤍🤍🌈🌈🤍🤍🤍Thank you. Will you believe and receive Jesus Christ as your lord and personal saviour??? I do. 🤍
I been to Bucees in Katy
American highways look soo old but nice
All that widening and yet induced demand means it takes LONGER to travel on the Katy Freeway than it did pre-expansion. #epicfail
They expanded I 10 from Brookshire to Sealy
How many thru lanes was it before expansion?
@@w-josh 2
You're still holding on to that widely disproven bad interoperation from wired magazine. I guess building more hospitals encourages people to get sick, and building more police stations encourages crime. Induced demand is simply not true it was made up by Wired magazine who misreported what economists Duranton & Turner’s paper actually said. The paper compared daily kilometers of interstate highway driving with lane kilometers of interstates in the urbanized portions of 228 metropolitan areas. In the average metropolitan area, it found that between 1983 and 1993 lane miles grew by 32 percent while driving grew by 77 percent. Between 1993 and 2003, lane miles grew by 18 percent, and driving grew by 46 percent.
That’s hardly a “perfect one‐to‐one relationship.” What actually is happening is population is growing faster than capacity, is what the Duranton & Turner reported. Not at all what wired magazines fuzzy thinking twisted this into the theory of induced demand.
Left lane hogging by so many people doesn't help the freeway flow either
Traffic still bad 7 am and 5pm two more lines please
Building more lanes will never solve traffic. When you build roads or build more lanes on existing ones, that then encourages more people to drive, and to change away from alternate routes they took before and traffic doesn't get better. Expanding the Katy Freeway to the monstrous size it is hasn't worked because building roads and lanes never has and never will
@@grassytramtracksand they made most of the freeways tolls in houston making people take those free freeways! And they should of added i 69 as a seperate route but nope, it took over 59! Thats why its so congested because of the freeways being paid! They want money from us!
What the heck
Man the native americans were just chilling here, then there's this smh
I’ve seen wider!! Lol
🤡
This is just a horrible design. You can't even walk any where whitout driving. America is so car dependent. SMH
And it doesn't even work at reducing traffic - solving traffic requires a new philosophy towards cities and living spaces, NOT more tarmac
Sure you can. The core of most American cities (even Houston) have sidewalks, buses, and such. It’s just most people crying on social media want to live in suburbs, avoid city taxes, and whine about major cities that they don’t even live in, pay taxes to, nor vote in. Basically “cities need to have robust transit systems and density, but I still want to have my single family home and lower taxes from a distance”.
Id rather not have to walk 20 miles to get to the interior of the city
average eruopean
@@istupiduser I would prefer that my taxes went to a train or something rather that that freeway
Houston SUCKS ...