I-10 E2E Issues near Lake Charles, Katy, and San Antonio...

BMW RT Pilot

Premier Member
#1
So, I was looking at the I-10 E2E to check the validity of my route and I noticed that both in mine and the suggested route on the I-10 E2E page, Google Maps is saying to take Exit 23 near Lake Charles, HWY 108. This seems to be some kind of mess-up since it's saying to take the exit and then get right back onto I-10! I've tried to adjust so that it stays on I-10 but no luck. Anyone have a clue? BaseCamp isn't having this problem...

I also noticed that, according to Google, the directions say to take the I-10 Frontage exit (725) West of Katy. I know these are just weird Google issues, but I'm just point things out...

Also, anyone know what in the heck is going on in San Antonio in regards to I-10/I-35? BaseCamp shows everything to be I-35 while Google seems to suggest that the rider is going to do a lot of weaving on and off exits to stay on I-10. Despite the latest maps, BaseCamp doesn't quite seem to be displaying the same as Google and no matter how much I zoom in, the highway/interstate numbers get smaller and smaller and get overwritten by the lines (why don't developers ever fix that?).
 
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kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#2
Google is going to route you to the *shortest* route it possibly can, just like your Garmin GPS will route you to an exit, then back onto the highway in order to save you 50' of travel distance.

Zoom level 14 shows the contiguous I-10 route in Google...at least on my 22" monitor.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Houston,+TX/@29.7731236,-95.3815922,14z

I-35, or I-45? Remember that odd-number Interstate routes are generally-speaking north-south routes.

I'm thinking you could pick a pair of lat-long points, one on the west end of Houston on I-10, one east of Houston, then tell the mapping software to map between them:

https://goo.gl/maps/vURtzd8Mky1jbZNN7

Google did it...I'm sure BC could do as well
 

BMW RT Pilot

Premier Member
#3
Thanks, but not talking about Houston...it's San Antonio. :)

I get what Google tries to do with trying to save that 50'...it's dumb, but I won't be tricked by it.

I added two more waypoints in BaseCamp around SA to make sure I am where I need to be. Something else I haven't seen in Google Maps before is that, when reviewing the directions, it'll show a photo of each step. The signs are clearly marked in this jungle, so I think I'll be good to go.

Oddly, BaseCamp didn't mess-up the route at all.

The bike is all packed, except for my toothpaste. The route is in the GPS and I'm making reservations. Looks like I'll be riding almost 6,400 miles in total, but I am not going to add a SS6K since I'd rather take the time to relax at the hotel and not feel rushed.
 

Tim Harkins

Premier Member
#4
You may be getting routes showing I35 at times in San Antonio because the I10 route converges with I35 for a bit in downtown. You will heading east on I10, then merge with 35 and off you go south. But it is I10 and will shortly separate from I35 and you’ll be heading east again.

You might actually have an exit on to the service road around Katy. There is a tremendous amount of road work both directions there.

Good luck, have a great ride.
 

BMW RT Pilot

Premier Member
#5
Hey guys,

Just wanted to thank everybody for putting up with all of my questions in such a short amount of time. I just read some reports about how much destruction is going on by these fascists trying to start something...it seems it's all along the route, especially in Santa Monica. Tennessee is under a statewide curfew, as I'm sure others are, so at this time, I've cancelled my trip until things simmer down. Now in the process of cancelling my reservations...

:(
 
#6
I think there is some repairs on I10 in lake Charles so that 108 is a detour. If that happens just document it, if it is possible to do it safely get a photo that says I10 closed detour. That could happen anywhere along the route.

For San Antonio that is just google maps issues, but you might be over analyzing. This is an interstate ride so you really do not need google maps or garmin, the route is well documented with large road signs. There are several spots that you will be on two interstates at the same time, 12&10 in Baton Rouge, 45&10 in Houston, 35&10 in San Antonio. When this happens stop using gps and just use those road signs, they are accurate and not trying for either fastest or shortest route. Google and garmin will often give silly routing directions, usually when you are fatigued and open to suggestion.
 
#7
Hey guys,

Just wanted to thank everybody for putting up with all of my questions in such a short amount of time. I just read some reports about how much destruction is going on by these fascists trying to start something...it seems it's all along the route, especially in Santa Monica. Tennessee is under a statewide curfew, as I'm sure others are, so at this time, I've cancelled my trip until things simmer down. Now in the process of cancelling my reservations...

:(
Probably good idea people are going crazy right now, need to give it a month or so for things to calm back down.
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#9
...it seems it's all along the route, especially in Santa Monica. Tennessee is under a statewide curfew, as I'm sure others are, so at this time, I've cancelled my trip until things simmer down. Now in the process of cancelling my reservations...
Wise move, sir.

 

Russ Black

Premier Member
#10
I don't know about the Lake Charles area, but they re-routed the interstate to the frontage road at the exits mentioned and re-route it back at the mentioned entrance ramps where the major construction is. I drove from Houston to San Antonio on Wednesday, June 27th, pulling a horse trailer and had two single lane sections due to temporary (minor) roadwork that slowed me down, but nothing serious. They might even not even be there anymore. Remember, I-10 is the major road between two rather large cities. How much the construction slows you down has more to do with the day of the week and the time of the day you hit those sections of I-10.

The weirdness of Google is due to them trying to remap the road every time they moved the lanes due to construction. We have a road like that, that will make you turn google off because Google will not stop speaking. Almost as if it is stuttering.

Don't worry about the differences in what the different mapping software says either. I use Garmins, Rand McNallys, Tom-Toms, Google, Waze, and Basecamp for navigating and some will say the Highway or County Road number and others will say the street name. It is still the same road. Sometimes two roads share the same stretch of concrete and only one shows up on the map that your navigation program is using. I mostly use and prefer Garmins but they have a glitch. When you are receiving instructions from it, make sure you look at the screen too because every once in a while the voice will say left, the screen shows right. Or, you are going North and it will tell you something like "Continue going South on". The screen (so far) has always been correct.

Good luck and enjoy your adventures!
 

BMW RT Pilot

Premier Member
#11
I guess the delay wasn't too bad- my new lenses came in today and a package I've been waiting on for almost a month will also be delivered today.
 

dmcqueeney

Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
IBR Staff
#12
Our position on detours was that if a given Interstate has an officially designated detour, then that segment IS the Interstate at that point. So an E2E's requirement of entirely riding that Interstate is not violated in such a case. SpotWalla tracking will likely show the temporary deviation, but a note about the detour (location & date/time) in the application package is recommended, to expedite verification if necessary. As an example, initially I-20 had a major long-term closure (construction) in downtown Birmingham, AL, with marked detour, which was acceptable for an E2E. (That project has been completed; I-20 is now open through Birmingham).
... Dave
 

BMW RT Pilot

Premier Member
#13
Our position on detours was that if a given Interstate has an officially designated detour, then that segment IS the Interstate at that point. So an E2E's requirement of entirely riding that Interstate is not violated in such a case. SpotWalla tracking will likely show the temporary deviation, but a note about the detour (location & date/time) in the application package is recommended, to expedite verification if necessary. As an example, initially I-20 had a major long-term closure (construction) in downtown Birmingham, AL, with marked detour, which was acceptable for an E2E. (That project has been completed; I-20 is now open through Birmingham).
... Dave
That reminded me of a time going through Birmingham on 65S- they detoured us from the interstate at an off-ramp and then had us coming right back on the next on-ramp.
 

tinn

New Member
#14
Not sure if you're still lookin', but as far as the San Antonio situation goes. On the east side of San Antonio, anyway. I'm not sure about the west side (heading towards Boerne). Haven't been over there in a while.

So, the east side. They've got a lot of construction going on I-10 between Sequin and LP 410 in S.A. They're not diverting from the highway most of the time though. Just concrete barricades and some quick left/right shifts every once in a while. When you get to downtown, I-10 and I-35 merge together for a bit. Also, if you think about taking LP 1604 around the outside of the city note that the construction goes from I-10 to I-35 on that stretch too. Knowing the way they do road construction here, they'll be done with it in about 7 or 8 thousand years.

I live over by Randolph AFB (I can see the Taj Mahal from my back window) and work at the old Kelly Airfield so I ride this every day. None of it is too bad. Might slow ya down a little bit, but I wouldn't give it any worry .
 

dmcqueeney

Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
IBR Staff
#15
Also, if you think about taking LP 1604 around the outside of the city . . .
Good info about the San Antonio area's I-10 current construction, from a local rider.
Just to be clear ... For the End-2-End I-10 ride, it's a requirement to remain on I-10 for the entirety of the ride.
For other (less restrictive) rides through there, the 1604 Loop can definitely be a time-saver, depending on the timing. I also like the farther out bypass on TX-46 (between Seguin & Boerne) -- more scenic, less traffic, fewer miles, but a little more time.
Regards ... Dave
 
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