Do you think they will ever make a full freeway / tollway between Austin and Houston? (San Antonio: homes, construction)

[Trainwreck20]

Entertaining article from Texas Monthly from almost 45 years ago.
https://www.texasmonthly.com/article...ct-speed-trap/

From about a dozen years ago:

The 1975 Texas statute meant to ban small jurisdictions from funding city operations from speeding tickets has failed to curb the practice. Estelline, a tiny town of 194 in the Panhandle, is almost entirely funded by citations issued to outsiders passing through on US 287. Where the speed limit suddenly drops from 70 MPH to 50, the town's lone police officer is ready to pounce.

Texas law mandates that a small city or town may only generate speeding ticket revenue equal to 30 percent of the previous year's total budget. After that, the city keeps just $1 from every $170-280 ticket it can issue. It must then send the rest to the state. In 1999, a state audit caught the town illegally withholding $15,025 in fine revenue.

[Danbo1957]

Yes, Highway 71 to Columbus where it meets IH 10 will be a freeway. Checkout the Texas DOT website, more info there.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

I'd personally rather see an expressway to I-20 near Shreveport; but I doubt I'll still be driving by the time they would build something like that

I'd like to see that too. It looks like they could very easily turn US Highway 79 into a non-stop freeway from I-35 and US Highway 79 in Round Rock to US Highway 79 and I-20 just west of Shreveport.

That route would also give us direct non-stop access to I-30 in Texarkana via US Highway 59/I-69 in Carthage to I-30 in Texarkana.

[Longhorn Al]

71 to 10. That way I can stop at Hruska's.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Al

71 to 10. That way I can stop at Hruska's.

We have had to skip it the last few times because it was too crowded .

[Need4Camaro]

What is Hruska's?

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

What is Hruska's?

A convenience store.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by cBach

A convenience store.

Sort of - it is really a family-owned truck stop, more or less. They actually make very good hot food (sandwiches and burgers and such), has a perfectly useless but kid-entertaining 'gift' shop (ala Buc-ees), and large, clean restrooms. It used to be the most convenient stop between Austin and Houston and just about half-way (to West Houston, anyway). Now it can be insanely crowded as they don't own enough land to really have sufficient parking.

[bpvarian]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

If you can't abide going through small towns, best thing for you is 130 to 10 to Houston. You'd have to pay the toll for part of it, but nowhere near what the people in those small towns (and the taxpayers) would have to pay to change it to what you prefer.

And it is also OK to drive 65 in the fast lane and speed bumps shouldn't be put in neighborhoods.
Great

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by case44

The answer's "Yes".

For the life of me, I don't understand why this had not been done in, at least, the 1970s. The gross lack of foresight in Central Texas is so staggering that it's beyond laughable. The capital city and the state's largest city, not connected with an interstate. Absolutely wrong. This desperately needs to be corrected, and folks in both Houston and Austin need to join forces.

Seconded.