LEAGUE CITY — League City’s traffic feels more like Houston’s each day, especially at what is known as the 5 Corners intersection.
Soon, the city hopes a new plan will ease congestion.
With 5,000 to 6,000 cars traveling hourly during peak times, the intersection of FM 518, FM 2094 and FM 270 can get congested.
It’s the only way to cross over Clear Lake in the 8 miles between state highways 3 and 146.
“Everybody has to funnel to one of the two or three crossings (across the lake),” said John Baumgartner, League City’s deputy city manager. “That’s what created this choke point right here.”
Baumgartner said it’s not unusual for it to take a few cycles at the traffic lights for motorists to get through the intersection during rush hour.
During high school football season, traffic can be even worse. The area’s five high schools play their games at Clear Creek school district’s Veterans Memorial Stadium along FM 2094 near FM 517.
The plan, called the 5 Corners Realignment, would connect north FM 518 to FM 270 directly with a merge lane to ease traffic.
The $8 million improvement will create a road from north FM 518 that crosses FM 2094, goes around a gas station at the corner, and merges with FM 270. That would allow the drivers on FM 2094 and FM 518 to go north on FM 270 with a bit more ease.
“It allows for more green-light time,” Baumgartner said. “It makes the intersection overall more efficient.”
The city is working on getting environmental clearance before construction can begin. Once that is completed, the city will purchase land, a nearby mattress store and a billboard to make way for the construction.
Rhonda Sullivan has lived in League City only for a few months, but she said the traffic at 5 Corners reminds her of Houston.
“Peak hours are pretty bad,” Sullivan said. “I think it’s to be expected because of the area we live in. There’s a lot of people.”
The city’s population is nearing 93,000, and Baumgartner said he expects the population to continue to increase — resulting in more traffic.
Baumgartner said the 5 Corners has become the No. 1 transportation priority of the city.
He, too, is looking forward to the plan being completed because he drives through the intersection every day.
“Coming home, I have to wait in line two or three cycles to get through the signal,” he said. “It’s the one thing that makes my day terrible.”
This traffic is a horrible way to start or end a day. Any good change is welcome to help the congestion; however, I feel this is just a Band-Aid. This intersection needs fly-overs not temporary fixes. If a construction mess is to be created; then do it right the first time and FIX IT! I am moving out of the area because of the inability to get around town in a timely manner and remain in a congenial mood. The planning board of LC seems oblivious as apartment buildings are popping up along every roadway that feeds into or is on these major roadways. More apartments and homes means MORE people. I don't want to be in this area if we get a hurricane and all have to evacuate. Can you imagine the horror?
I think you are right Cheerio, fly-overs would work, They are costly and take more space than this project (more right-of-way to buy) but it would work much better. All you need is the will to pay for it.
I go through this intersection 3-4 times a day and do not see how the proposed construction is going to help. In fact, what it does is add another intersection within a few hundred yards. The majority of the traffic problem is at the light, southbound on 270. The proposed solution adds another intersection this traffic has to pass through. If they are going to spend the money to purchase the mattress store and other land, then they need to look at a complete solution to the problem and purchase the Shell station and anything else needed and fix this problem the first time. I think connecting FM 518 south directly across through the Shell station to FM 270 north is a better solution and may actually cost less.
Very bad diagram of what is happening. But really, is adding another corner to the five corners (I count 10 corners) is going to help how? The answer is the merge lanes not shown in the diagram.
This will only help with the morning traffic problem. The evening traffic flow South on Egret Bay is worse and this will not help. An overpass is the only solution. The city should obtain funding from the state to make this happen.
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(5) comments
This traffic is a horrible way to start or end a day. Any good change is welcome to help the congestion; however, I feel this is just a Band-Aid. This intersection needs fly-overs not temporary fixes. If a construction mess is to be created; then do it right the first time and FIX IT! I am moving out of the area because of the inability to get around town in a timely manner and remain in a congenial mood. The planning board of LC seems oblivious as apartment buildings are popping up along every roadway that feeds into or is on these major roadways. More apartments and homes means MORE people. I don't want to be in this area if we get a hurricane and all have to evacuate. Can you imagine the horror?
I think you are right Cheerio, fly-overs would work, They are costly and take more space than this project (more right-of-way to buy) but it would work much better. All you need is the will to pay for it.
I go through this intersection 3-4 times a day and do not see how the proposed construction is going to help. In fact, what it does is add another intersection within a few hundred yards. The majority of the traffic problem is at the light, southbound on 270. The proposed solution adds another intersection this traffic has to pass through. If they are going to spend the money to purchase the mattress store and other land, then they need to look at a complete solution to the problem and purchase the Shell station and anything else needed and fix this problem the first time. I think connecting FM 518 south directly across through the Shell station to FM 270 north is a better solution and may actually cost less.
Very bad diagram of what is happening.
But really, is adding another corner to the five corners (I count 10 corners) is going to help how? The answer is the merge lanes not shown in the diagram.
This will only help with the morning traffic problem. The evening traffic flow South on Egret Bay is worse and this will not help. An overpass is the only solution. The city should obtain funding from the state to make this happen.
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Real names required. No pseudonyms or partial names allowed. Stand behind what you post.
Keep it clean. Don't use obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don’t knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be brief. Keep posts to 150 words or less.
Edit yourself. No more than two posts per thread and stay on topic. Do not link to sites outside galvnews.com.
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Be proactive. Use the "Report" link on each comment to let us know of rule violations.