Northpark Making Good Progress Despite a Few Hiccups

4/25/26 – Since I last posted about the Northpark Drive Expansion Project in Kingwood eleven days ago, contractors have continued to push forward parts of the project that they have control over. Those include the eastern bridge abutment and excavation of the detention basins at the US59 entrance.

They have also virtually completed everything east of the abutment all the way to the eastern terminus of the project near the Kingwood Diversion Ditch. Here’s an update on what is and isn’t complete in Phase I.

Eastern Part of Project Virtually Done

The entire project from US59 to the eastern terminus is about a mile. Eight-tenths of that mile is virtually complete – everything between Parkwood Baptist Church between Russell Palmer Road and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch down to the start of the eastern bridge abutment in front of the Quick Quack Car Wash.

In this segment of the project, I observed:

Medians that need to be planted with grass in some areas
One lane of traffic on each side of the median still blocked off for contractors to work on the medians
Traffic cones still blocking off turn lanes where new traffic control lights have not yet been activated
A few gaps in sidewalks caused by utility conflicts.

Other than that, it’s clear sailing in wider lanes than existed before the project. See the pictures below all taken during the afternoon of August 24, 2026. The sequence goes from east to west beginning near Russell Palmer Road.

*Between Parkwood Baptist and Advance Auto Parts, looking at the newly completed turn lanes at Russell Palmer.*

*New traffic signals at Russell Palmer are installed but not yet activated. Sidewalks in this area need the most help of anywhere else on the entire project.*

Just beyond Russell Palmer, we can see that sidewalks still have a few gaps and that the median has been scraped down to the dirt and more dirt added to come up to the top of the curb. Grass, however, as not yet been planted.

*Approaching the entrance to Italiano’s and Kings Mill (left side).*

*Sherwin Williams and Quick Quack on right mark the end of the mostly completed segment.*

Bridge Construction

Things get a little hairier in the last 2/10s of a mile. The east abutment is coming along well. It appears to have reached its full height or close to it. Yesterday, contractors appeared to be spreading and compacting the last layer or two of dirt.

*Note structural steel in bottom left already onsite for the next phase of work.*

Contractors are scheduled to pour the bridge abutment cap concrete next week weather permitting. They will also begin paving up to the ramp.

Railroad Crossing

So far, that’s all great news. But Northpark contractors still have some hiccups to contend with at the UnionPacific Railroad crossing near Loop 494.

On the south side of Northpark, two utility poles still block completion of the new surface lanes.

*Note unpaved sections of new surface lanes to left of inbound traffic.*

*On the north side of Northpark, UPRR has installed new crossing signals, but the track inserts stop a few feet short of where the sidewalk needs to be.*

The last foot or so of pavement before and after the tracks will be completed when all new surface lanes, crossing signals and gates are in place and operational. In the meantime…

Zig Zag Continues

Traffic near Loop 494 continues to curve in and out around a) the eastern bridge abutment and b) where the western bridge abutment will eventually go between Whataburger and PNC Bank.