Find Out Which Houston Roads Suck the Most Butt
A study released this week by Washington, D.C.-based TRIP illustrates something we all know: This place completely blows for motorists. 
F you!
According to the TRIP report "Texas' Top 100 Transportation Challenges and the Improvements Needed to Address Them," 17 shit shows for roads -- which TRIP calls "challenges" -- are in the Houston area. (Remember, this is a big freaking state, so that's nothing to shake a stick at.)
Holding down the second spot for the most ass-sucking asphalt throughway in terms of deterioration and congestion -- right behind Interstate 30 in Dallas-Forth Worth -- is Interstate 45 from Interstate 610 to Beltway 8.
Further down the list at the eighth spot is I-45 from Interstate 10 to 610. "In order to improve road and bridge conditions and relieve congestion, this portion of IH 45 and various interchanges would need to be widened and reconstructed," reads the TRIP report.
Other winners/losers include a "deficient bridge" that needs to be rebuilt on 610 and the Southwest Freeway (18th), a deteriorated Southwest Freeway bridge over Rice Avenue that requires replacement (19th), and deterioration and congestion on State Highway 288 from 610 to Beltway 8 (21st).
The study considered factors such as daily traffic volume, the route's importance and repair costs. Additionally, the organization was kind enough to offer improvement suggestions -- as far as we can tell, they don't suggest building new roads to alleviate the nearly nonstop gridlock.
This should jibe with locals because, according to a recent Houston Tomorrow Regional Plan for Sustainable Development survey, folks around here prefer improving existing roads (as well as mass transit options) to building new ones.
Uh-huh. Sure. We'll check back with you once northbound I-45 or outbound Southwest Freeway is narrowed to one lane during rush hour due to the "long-term improvements."
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