Houston Rush Hour?

[noelm]

We're leaving Monday a.m. from San Antonio to catch the Ecstasy out of Galveston. But, we have to swing by IAH to pick up mother-in-law at 1030 before traveling down to G'vston. What can we expect in terms of traffic? Any construction to be aware of given our route/plans? Appreciate any input.

[Tightlinerods]

Here is your best option

 

I-10 to the Sam Houston Toll Road go north 2.00 or close to it later you take the JFK BLVD exit and bam your at the airport...

 

Leave the airport and take 59 SOUTH until you hit the Beltway again go left or east and stay on it until I-45 south Most of it will be surface road until I-10 but it moves very fast....

 

On I-45 go south and you will have completely missed Houston proper and picked up Maw n Law !!!!

 

 

John

[noelm]

Looks great... thanks

[springtxbill]

Leaving airport, I would go 59 to downtown to 45 South. Beltway will be a very long circular route and the traffic at 11 to noon will not be bad going thru town.:)

[yst347]

I would not recommend using the Sam Houston Tollway without an EZ-tag. The cash lanes at the West Little York toll plaza and the Veterans toll plaza are ridiculously long after 6:00 AM.

 

If I wanted to reach IAH from San Antonio during the morning rush, I would take the I-10 HOV lane to the NW transit center. Follow Old Katy Rd. east for a quarter mile under I-610, turn left and I'm on I-610 north. Follow I-610 around to the Hardy Toll road and take the Hardy toll road into the Airport. You will need to stop at two toll plazas going this way but the Hardy has less traffic than the Sam Houston and very little will be going outbound to the airport in the morning.

[Nitra]

I live 3 miles south of 10 on the west side of town, no matter what time of day, I go the tollway all the way to the IAH, never have any issue as long as I have my quarters, which I always do. I had to pick up someone and take them to Galveston to get the ship, I took the tollway to the airport then went back 8 WEST and picked up 45 south, took it all the way to Galveston.

 

One thing to remember is Houston is like a spoke and wheel layout, if you hit 610 or Sam Houston/8, you will circle the city, except Sam Houston/8 is not done on the east side of the city, 59/45 and 10 all cross the city in various directions.

 

If you come into town from the West on 10, you are heading in with all the traffic from Katy area, so try to time it to get in town after 9ish. If her flight lands at 1030, then from the time you hit the tollway and head north to the airport, it will take about 30 minutes, 45 if you hit traffic. Longest it ever took me was 1 hr and it was pouring rain so hard you could barely see.

 

Be sure to have quarters! Each toll booth is 1.25 and from 10, you will hit 2 before you get to the airport. Then you can just whip into a cash lane, drop you money and roll.

[yst347]

I drive the northwest section of the Sam Houston tollway as part of my daily commute. I have been making this commute for thirteen years. I am just relaying my daily observations. If you have made it to IAH without delay using the exact change lanes thats wonderful.

 

My experience tells me that at 9:00 am on a Monday it will take 20 minutes to drive from I-10 and highway 6 to I-10 and the beltway due to the construction. The toll plaza at West Little York will cause a brief delay, perhaps only 5 minutes. The toll plaza at Veterans will be atleast 15 minutes.

 

YMMV :cool:

 

 

I-10 approaching beltway at 9:00 am Monday 12/04/2006