The rapidly disappearing elevated segment of Elysian St. pointing north out of Downtown is the latest aging roadway structure to be crumbled apart, though it won’t be the last. But death is a natural part of the Houston roadway cycle! And a healthier, brawnier replacement viaduct is planned to take its place along roughly the same right-of-way — this one with broad shoulders and a sidewalk. TxDOT spokesman Danny Perez told Houston Public Media‘s Gail DeLaughter last month that work on the new structure, which connects Downtown to Near Northside by funneling drivers over Buffalo Bayou and I-10, should start before the demo of the mile-and-a-half-long original wraps up.
A hunched excavator was spotted helping to bring the aging bridge down from above:
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TxDOT is currently giving 2 and a half years as the estimated time to completion, though these things do get hurried along on occasion.
Photos: Adam J Williams
I wish they made the park around the viaduct into a park designated for David Addickes statues. Because that piece of land the “Mount Rushhour” is on now on looks like crap.
I’m pouring out a forty. Farewell old friend.
That thing was a bear to conquer during the annual Rodeo Run downtown. The race took you down the entire length of it, then once you landed on the north side, they spun you around and you had to do it all over again. The gradual ups and downs were a real treat, too, considering Houston’s flat topography.
The only time I’d ever been on this thing was during Critical Mass ride. Good fun, but definitely showed it’s age.
Why is Elysian a viaduct while Pierce is an elevated?
Wondering if the Houston Marathon might one day return to the former route crossing the viaduct. That brought us through the Heights which was so much fun with all the residents coming out to cheer. Now we run through River Oaks which is basically a ghost town – coming out to sit on their curb and hoot and holler and offer oranges and bananas is evidently not “their thing”.