UPRR Almost Finished, Northpark to Reopen This Afternoon

3/7/25 Updated at 2:30 PM– The UnionPacific Railroad (UPRR) has almost finished with Northpark work that caused a three day closure of one of two major traffic arteries out of Kingwood. UPRR hopes to reopen Northpark this afternoon. They say it should be open for evening rush hour.

Reasons for Closure

UPRR installed a single 55,000 pound, 200-foot-long, welded section of track across the area where ten lanes of traffic will soon go. The single section was necessary to stabilize the track against traffic that will drive over it and utilities that will bore under it.

The bridge that will carry six lanes of traffic over the tracks and Loop 494 eliminating backups in the case of evacuation. But the bridge also will create a conflict for utilities that run wires overhead in that area.

The pictures below tell the story of what happened since my last update yesterday at noon.

By 4 PM Thursday

By 4 PM Thursday, Day 2 of the 3-day closure, UPRR crews were preparing the areas next to the tracks where asphalt will go.

*Prepping areas for asphalt that will feather roadway into rail crossing.*

*UPRR has begun demobilizing much of its heavy equipment.*

*They also cleared and graded the staging area where they constructed the 200-foot section of track.*

That means Loop 494 expansion through that area can now re-commence.

At 10 AM Friday

This morning, Friday 3/7/25, the Northpark railroad crossing was a beehive of activity. Crews poured asphalt over the gravel next to the track so that traffic could move smoothly over them.

Looking South at Loop 494/Railroad and Northpark Intersection on 3/7/25 at 10 AM.

*UPRR Crews were prepositioning the concrete inserts that will allow traffic in the surface lanes next to the bridge to move smoothly over the tracks.*

While I was there, they did not actually place any of the concrete panels. However, asphalt kept arriving.

*Another load of asphalt arrived as crews spread and compacted the material to create a smooth transition with the existing concrete roadway.*

Reports of Train Moving Through Intersection Yesterday

Numerous people reported a train moving through the Northpark intersection yesterday. Those reports were true. But according to the railroad, the train was moving “really, really slow.”

UPRR has not yet fully stabilized the new section of track per their standards, but they are working on that now.

Reopening and Next Steps

UPRR will reopen the roadway late this afternoon, probably about 5 PM. Variables affecting that goal include the asphalt transition between the newly installed concrete panels and the adjacent roadway.

That asphalt arrived late this morning. And once placed, it must cool. But the roadway should open by rush hour this afternoon, according to UPRR.

The concrete panels needed for the future feeder road crossings and the two 10’ multi-use pathways still need to be installed. UPRR is still working on that.

*At 2 PM, the UPRR crew was placing concrete panels between the tracks where turn lanes and sidewalks will cross them.*

*Also as of 2 PM, most of the equipment including the asphalt operation had been removed from the crossing. Note the panel placement operation continuing in lower right.*

UPRR also intends to place concrete panels between the tracks north (left) of the intersection above. Note the panels stacked by the white pickup in the lower left of the photo above. It is unclear whether they intend to try to do that before the re-opening.

No new signal work will be done at this time. The existing gate arms and signals will continue to operate when the roadway opens later today.

Other Northpark Work

Separately, the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority used the opportunity created by the railroad work to run drainage underneath Northpark in two areas. The Harper Brothers crews are also nearly finished with those, too. So that work should not impede the re-opening of Northpark.