Houston / Construction archive
Beltway 8 and Westpark: the reverse stack
At Westpark, Houston planned an interchange that went down instead of up. The August 2000 account explains how a depressed Beltway and a crowded power-line corridor shaped that choice.
Last updated August 2000
Collection: TexasFreeway Houston photographs
A different way to build a stack.
From the Houston archive. This account was written in August 2000; its plans, predictions and first-person observations reflect that time.
Beltway 8 - Westpark Tollway
This will be the reverse stack, since all connectors will be below grade and one connector will be 2 levels below grade. While all other BW8s go up, this one goes down. The main reasons is cost, of course. Existing Beltway 8 is already below grade, which facilitates connections below grade. Also, just north of the Westpark Tollway corridor is a high-voltage right-of-way with a large number of power lines. Building elevated ramps would have required costly relocation of the high voltage lines and towers.
The only real problem with this planned interchange is the two cloverleafs. Just when I thought all cloverleafs in Houston had been destroyed, these two new ones will be built!
For larger views of the schematic and details on the connections, go to the Westpark Tollway page.
Collection: TexasFreeway Houston photographs
Beltway 8 at the planned Westpark crossing
August 2000
