Northpark Drive looking east across 494

Northpark Drive Closed Saturday 8PM to Sunday 4AM

Northpark Drive between Russell Palmer Drive and Loop 494 will be closed this Saturday night (2/12/22) from 8PM to Sunday 4AM.

Simultaneous Railroad and Ditch Maintenance

Northpark Drive looking east across 494 and railroad tracks. Note ponding water in ditch not moving farther down. Also note traffic backed up past Russell-Palmer. That’s 0.8 miles from the railroad tracks in the foreground. Photo was taken at 12:33PM on a Wednesday afternoon last July.
Northpark Drive looking west across Russell-Palmer Road. Note siltation in ditch.

Union Pacific will perform maintenance on the Northpark Drive railroad crossing. And Montgomery County will perform ditch maintenance in the median from 494 to Russell-Palmer. The coordinated effort will reduce disruption to the public.

Detour Map

During the closure, westbound traffic will be re-routed down Northpark and out Kingwood Drive.

Eastbound traffic will be rerouted down 494 to Kingwood Drive and then back north on Woodland Hills.

Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin issued this traffic control plan with his press release.

Traffic detours in effect from 8PM Saturday through 4AM Sunday

Minimizing Traffic Delays

Since Union Pacific was shutting down the road anyway, Montgomery County Precinct 4 Commissioner Metts seized the opportunity de-litter and de-silt the ditch in the Northpark median between 494 and Russell-Palmer Drive. “Daytime/ weekday traffic in the area has become so heavy in recent years,” said Metts, “that it’s difficult to use heavy equipment. It causes major traffic problems and is dangerous for those working.”

Metts hopes to use the opportunity to improve drainage without causing unnecessary traffic delays.

Growth Pushing Ditch to Its Capacity Limit

In recent years, commercial growth has pushed the median ditch down Northpark to its limits. This will be welcome maintenance.

Water along this stretch of Northpark Drive flows toward the Kingwood Diversion Ditch behind the fireworks stand.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/11/22

1627 Days since Hurricane Harvey