Northpark Construction Sequence Changing

8/18/24 – The sequence and timing of upcoming construction steps for the Northpark Drive Expansion Project is changing. Project Manager Ralph De Leon wants the public to know what will change, why and when between now and the end of the year.

All parties involved in the construction met last week and agreed to the plan outlined below. However, De Leon warned that it could still change. The new plan will start within the next two to three weeks. The steps outlined below should be substantially completed by December.

Unfortunately, they could involve fewer lanes for a period a time and will cause a total closure of Northpark for three days. The original plan kept two lanes of traffic open in both directions at all times. But that is no longer possible.

Reason for Changes

Due to highly publicized delays caused by utility conflicts, project planners started building pieces of the project out of sequence to keep crews busy.

“We are now out of sequence globally,” said De Leon. “That will never change. So throw out everything you knew in the past. We will publish a new schedule this week or next.”

A complex series of signal changes for traffic, railroad and pedestrian crossings also contributes to the schedule changes. And they will need to be built twice: once for temporary traffic and again for permanent traffic.

Electronics are driving the new Northpark construction sequence more than concrete at this point, according to De Leon. “Boring and installing communication cables to temporary, then permanent signals is the difficult part,” he said.

The schedule changes will not affect what is being built, just when. Nothing has changed regarding the goals. Additional lanes and the planned bridge over 494 and the railroad will still be built.

New Sequence Affects Planned West- and Eastbound Feeder Roads

This new Northpark construction sequence affects how and when the west- and eastbound feeder roads will be constructed. The old plan called for both to be constructed at the same time.

Then traffic was to have been rerouted to the new feeders while contractors demolished the middle. However, that is no longer viable as you can see from photos below.

Instead, Harper Brothers will construct eastbound feeder roads on the south side as they place culverts west to east along the north side. They will start at the Shell station on the northwest corner of Loop 494 and Northpark and work their way down to the area by the Quick Quack Car Wash.

De Leon’s goal is to keep the existing at-grade railroad crossing intact and use that for west bound traffic. The new feeder road on the south side will handle eastbound traffic.

However, that could still change. “We could have to switch everybody (both directions) to the new feeder road. That would mean a single lane for both east- and westbound traffic until the second westbound feeder road is constructed on the north side.”

Pictures Taken Friday 8/17/24

Looking W at Northpark Expansion Project. Previously, planners hoped to install drainage east to west. Now they will move west to east to accommodate UnionPacific which must reroute traffic during its busy season.

*Still looking west over 494. Contractors are already beginning to work on drainage that will go under 494 and the railroad tracks.*

*Looking east. Two more feeder lanes will be built for east bound* *traffic sout*h of Northpark.

UPRR will construct a crane on top of the rail tracks needed to install 200 feet of track panel. For that to happen they must rip out the existing rail tracks and reroute all traffic to rail lines that parallel the Hardy Tollroad.

The panel is in a single section that will stretch across ten lanes. UPRR needs that for track stability. However, its length will mean totally closing Northpark for three days.