Northpark, Loop 494 Lane Switches Happen Tonight

12/19/24 – Northpark and Loop 494 lane switches happen tonight to accommodate new construction. Two large lane switches will begin at 9PM.

One will be on the eastbound lanes between Kings Mill and the eastern end of the project at the Kingwood Diversion Ditch. The second will be on Loop 494 about a block north and south of the Northpark intersection.

In both areas, Harper Brothers Construction will switch traffic to new or temporary lanes to accommodate demolition of the old lanes, installation of drainage, and reconstruction of new lanes.

The project has two overall goals: accommodate increased traffic and create an all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 Kingwood residents when floods cut off other exits.

Eastbound NorthPark Drive Traffic Switch

Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority’s (LHRA’s) contractor, Harper Brothers Construction will shift east bound NorthPark Drive traffic from the existing eastbound lanes to the newly constructed center lanes. The shift of eastbound traffic to the center lanes will occur between Kings Mill Park Drive and the Kingwood diversion ditch, approximately 0.3 miles east of Russell Palmer Road.

No new changes to the westbound traffic will occur during this phase. The contractor will be installing new storm sewer pipes and inlets along the south side of NorthPark Drive along with new concrete roadway.

This shift is planned to last approximately 6 months.

For a printable map of the lane changes, see this PDF.

The pictures below may help you visualize the changes coming tonight.

*Looking east from near Kings Mill Entrance. Lanes on right will be closed off and traffic diverted to center.* *Italianos is just out of frame on right.*

*Eastbound traffic will continue in the center lanes past Russell Palmer Road.*

*Eastbound traffic will merge back onto the existing lanes between the large dirt pile on left and Jiffy Lube, lower right.* *Kingwood Diversion Ditch parallels tree line at top of frame.*

Loop 494 Traffic Switch:

Harper Brothers will also shift traffic from the east side of Loop 494 to the newly constructed concrete pavement on the west side. This shift of traffic to the newly constructed concrete lanes will occur between Northpines Drive and the east entrance to Kroger, approximately 0.2 Miles north of Northpark Drive.

This shift will last approximately four months while the contractor installs new storm sewer pipes and inlets along the east side of Loop 494, and new concrete roadway.

Here’s a second high-resolution, printable map of the lane changes on 494. See this PDF.

This photo may help you visualize the changes.

Looking S along Loop 494 across Northpark. Traffic on the gray, older roadbed on left will shift to the new concrete on right from the foreground, all the way to the top of the frame where road narrows.

One thing to note re: Loop 494. Southbound traffic turning west onto Northpark will have a dedicated right-hand turn lane separate from the southbound lanes. That was not there before.

*Traffic will shift left/west to new lanes along the red line while existing lanes are reconstructed.*

I would definitely avoid these areas tonight as contractors erect new traffic barriers. And use extra caution in coming days as drivers get used to the changes.