Allen Parkway
| Buffalo Parkway | |
 |
|
| Length | 2.3 mi (3.7 km) |
|---|---|
| Location | Houston, Harris County |
| West end | Shepherd Drive |
| East end |
 I-45
|
Allen Parkway is an arterial road west of Downtown Houston, Texas. It has a distance of approximately 2.3 miles (3.7 km), running from Interstate 45 west to Shepherd Drive, where it becomes Kirby Drive. Originally known as Buffalo Parkway, it was later named after John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen, the founders of Houston.
The entire length of Allen Parkway is considered a limited-access parkway and closely follows the south bank of Buffalo Bayou. Memorial Drive, another limited-access parkway, closely follows the north bank of the bayou. Allen Parkway passes under Studemont Street/Montrose Boulevard, Waugh Drive, and Shepherd Drive. At the Waugh Drive and Studemont/Montrose interchanges, which have exit and entrance ramps and feeder roads on each side, Allen Parkway is below grade. The south side (eastbound) has continuous feeder roads, the north side (westbound) has discontinuous feeder roads. Access is not controlled at Dunlavy Street, where traffic to or from Allen Parkway can cross the median. Also, there is a continuous green T-intersection at Taft Street, allowing controlled access for westbound traffic, with a stoplight for eastbound traffic.
The intersection of Allen Parkway and I-45 was once known as the Spaghetti Bowl because of the numerous curving entrance and exit ramps. Motorists traveling eastbound at the eastern terminus can exit to Clay Street, Dallas Street, I-45 northbound, or I-45 southbound. The merge onto I-45 South is known by long-time Houston residents as one of the most difficult merges in the Houston area.
Motorists wishing to travel westbound on Allen Parkway can enter via Walker Street, Lamar Street, or by way of an entrance ramp which collects traffic from Sabine Street, and I-45 northbound and southbound. The eastbound feeder ends at West Dallas Street. A portion of the roadway also used to be known as "The Deathtrap" because of an odd number of travel lanes and bridge supports for a railroad positioned in the middle of the road.
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Wikipedia