Tag: Northpark Drive Overpass Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 13, 2024 Contact: Dustin Hodges (832) 393-3008 districte@houstontx.gov Northpark Drive Overpass Project Notice of Lane Closure HOUSTON – Council Member Flickinger would like to make Kingwood residents aware that Beginning February 19th, Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority’s (LHRA’s) contractor, Harper Brothers Construction will be closing the right two lanes of westbound traffic near the Northpark/I-69 intersection. For this phase of work, the contractor will be installing new storm sewer pipes and inlets along with a new concrete roadway. The first month of this closure will leave two westbound lanes open – the existing left turn lane and one through lane. The next 3 months of the closure will switch traffic onto the newly constructed lanes while construction of the existing left turn lane and through lane are completed. Westbound traffic should expect delays and alternative routes are encouraged. As a result of the construction activities, please be aware of flagmen and orange traffic cones that will be put in place on-site to help with traffic flow through the construction zone. Businesses and residents will have access to driveways and sidewalks at all times and may experience an increase in noise levels due to trucks and equipment in the area. For more information, you can visit LHRA’s website at www.lakehoustonra.com. You can also contact Council Member Flickinger’s office at (832) 393-3008 or districte@houstontx.gov.

Council Member Fred Flickinger City of Houston | 900 Bagby, Houston, TX 77002

Construction date projected for roughly $76.2M Kingwood mobility project

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin joined officials from the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority, also known as Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 10, at an April 13 groundbreaking ceremony for the Northpark Drive overpass project in Kingwood. (Wesley Gardner/Community Impact)

Construction on the Northpark Drive overpass project in Kingwood is projected to begin April 23 following an April 13 groundbreaking ceremony for the long-awaited project that was first proposed in 2015.

Project details: According to officials with the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority, also known as Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 10, the roughly $76.2 million project will:

• Expand Northpark Drive from four to six lanes between Hwy. 59 and Russell Palmer Road;
• Add an overpass over the Union Pacific Corp. railroad tracks and Loop 494; and
• Create an additional evacuation route in and out of Kingwood.

Quote of note: “The cost [of the Northpark Drive overpass project] has escalated tremendously, not only because of the materials, but because of what happened during Hurricane Harvey,” Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin said. “[Kingwood] became an island. We couldn’t get people out. We couldn’t get Red Cross in here, so one of the things that [Mayor Sylvester Turner] charged us with doing was build a new evacuation road. The Northpark Drive overpass project will provide a tremendous amount of safety.”

Project benefits: Once completed, LHRA officials said the Northpark Drive overpass project will:

• Decrease traffic delays and travel time;
• Elevate Northpark Drive over the 500-year floodplain;
• Increase drainage capacity; and
• Include the installation of amenity ponds near Hwy. 59, landscaping improvements, corridor lighting and pedestrian sidewalks.

Project background: The Northpark Drive overpass project was first proposed following the completion of the 2015 Kingwood Area Mobility Study. According to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s 2022 Most Congested Roadways in Texas report, Northpark Drive from Sorters McClellan Road to Mills Branch Drive ranked as the 114th most-congested roadway in the state.

The project was initially projected to cost around $52 million, but officials said inflation and supply-chain issues have driven up the cost. Officials noted the city of Houston is contributing roughly $9.5 million toward the project, with TIRZ 10 picking up the remainder of the bill.

By Wesley Gardner

1:39 PM Apr 13, 2023 CDT
Updated 1:39 PM Apr 13, 2023 CDT

Reporter, Lake Houston-Humble-Kingwood

Wesley joined Community Impact in May 2021 after graduating from St. Edwards University with a degree in mass communication in 2012. He covers education, local government, transportation, real estate development and nonprofits in the Lake Houston-Humble-Kingwood area. Prior to joining CI, Wesley served as the editor of the Lockhart Post Register and as a reporter for the Bastrop Advertiser and Fort Bend Herald.

Click Here to access Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin Press Release, April 6, 2023