Westpark Tollway Cracks Cause Concern
POSTED: Friday, August 3, 2007
HOUSTON -- Cracks on a heavily traveled roadway have many motorists concerned, KPRC Local 2 reported Thursday.
Slideshow: Cracks In Westpark Tollway
Harris County Toll Road officials said two cracks were found in the pavement during a routine inspection in May. Neither crack is on a bridge or overpass, officials said.One of the cracks is west of West Houston Center Boulevard and the other is west of Synott Road. Each crack is about an inch wide and generally near the guardrail in the middle of the road, officials said."I didn't notice it," one motorist said. "I've been on it twice today."The cracks were reported to Harris County officials immediately."All we're trying to do now is find out what it is so we can stop it," said Gary Stobb, director of the Harris County Toll Road Authority.Stobb said it will take about four months to determine what is wrong. The Authority has asked for $55,000 to fund the investigation.Officials said they could not estimate the cost of repairs, which will be paid for through toll road revenue, until they know how to correct the problems.Stobb said drivers should feel safe using the road."I have no reason to doubt the safety of the Westpark Tollway, especially related to these cracks," he said.Some drivers said they were skeptical."There's something wrong with that setup," driver Reggie Ridley said. "It makes me nervous. I really didn't know that there was cracks like that in it, but knowing it now, I'm going to be pretty much cautious."
Copyright 2008 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Slideshow: Cracks In Westpark Tollway
Harris County Toll Road officials said two cracks were found in the pavement during a routine inspection in May. Neither crack is on a bridge or overpass, officials said.One of the cracks is west of West Houston Center Boulevard and the other is west of Synott Road. Each crack is about an inch wide and generally near the guardrail in the middle of the road, officials said."I didn't notice it," one motorist said. "I've been on it twice today."The cracks were reported to Harris County officials immediately."All we're trying to do now is find out what it is so we can stop it," said Gary Stobb, director of the Harris County Toll Road Authority.Stobb said it will take about four months to determine what is wrong. The Authority has asked for $55,000 to fund the investigation.Officials said they could not estimate the cost of repairs, which will be paid for through toll road revenue, until they know how to correct the problems.Stobb said drivers should feel safe using the road."I have no reason to doubt the safety of the Westpark Tollway, especially related to these cracks," he said.Some drivers said they were skeptical."There's something wrong with that setup," driver Reggie Ridley said. "It makes me nervous. I really didn't know that there was cracks like that in it, but knowing it now, I'm going to be pretty much cautious."
Copyright 2008 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Hurricane Ida, the first Atlantic hurricane to target the United States this year, plodded early Monday toward the Gulf Coast with 105 mph winds, bringing the threat of flooding and storm surges.
It started with what would have been just a misdemeanor crime, but the Houston Police Department says what happened next led to a suspect being shot and killed by a police officer.
The search for a missing cattle herder ends with the discovery of his body, KPRC Local 2 reports.
Harris County homicide investigators said they have made two arrests after an 18-year-old woman was found dead Friday morning.
The family of the alleged Fort Hood shooter held his mother's funeral at the same Virginia mosque that two Sept. 11 hijackers attended in 2001, at a time when a radical imam preached there.
Jonathan Novack
Nov. 5, 2009: A prominent home builder and his wife are charged with drug possession and intent to distribute. Carl Willis reports.
May 8, 2008: A giant sinkhole in Liberty County is swallowing everything in its path, KPRC Local 2 reports.
Nov. 7 2009: A traffic tie-up is expected to impact traffic into the work week.
The Wings Over Houston Airshow was held at Ellington Field on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, 2009. More than 80,000 people attended. Check out some of the viewers who visited the KPRC booth.
A soldier opened fire at a U.S. Army base in Fort Hood, Texas, on Thursday, unleashing a stream of gunfire that left 13 people dead and 31 wounded.
Thanksgiving celebrates -- among other things -- an abundant harvest. Find out just how bountiful the calories in your holiday meal can be.
Email Alerts
RSS News Feeds
Mobile
Live Streams
Slideshows
Video
Search
