Clear-Span Bridge Replaces Low-Water Crossing over Bens Branch

8/19/26 – Today, the Bear Branch Trail Association (BBTA) replaced the old low-water crossing over Bens Branch behind Bear Branch Elementary School with a new clear-span bridge.

Chris Bloch, a member of the BBTA board, wrote that “Today is a significant day in Kingwood Flood Mitigation.  The old low-water crossing over Bens Branch is gone. We have replaced it with a new clear-span bridge. The Bear Branch Trail Association will dedicate this new bridge to the memory of Stan Sarman, who helped develop Kingwood’s drainage system.” See below.

Original Built by Foster Lumber Company

Foster Lumber Company originally built the old low-water crossing, so its logging trucks could cross Bens Branch. When Sarman first came out to do survey work for Friendswood Development, the only access through the Livable Forest was old logging roads. This low-water crossing was the original Tree Lane logging road.  

“Stan drove over the old crossing when he laid out future roads and utilities,” said Bloch. “People may have wondered why this low-water crossing was so wide. But the logging trucks needed the width. Hamblen Road, Kingwood Drive, and Northpark also had logging-truck roads.”

One culvert bridge remains across Bens Branch. It’s in the median of Northpark between Hidden Pines and Glade Valley Drives south of the St. Martha cathedral. And it frequently contributes to Northpark flooding.

Old Bridge No Longer Adequate

The old low-water crossing near Bear Branch Elementary represented a major restriction to the flow of Bens Branch through Kingwood, according to Bloch, an engineer. “The three culverts were adequate before Kingwood was developed. But as more development took place, increasing the impermeable surface also increased water flows in Bens Branch.  

Debris caught in the three culverts during heavy rains further restricted evacuation of floodwaters. Bloch says that Kids in Action, St. Martha’s Elementary School, plus parts of North Woodland Hills and Bear Branch Villages all suffered flood damage because of the old low-water crossing.

Delayed by Funding, But Harris County Precinct 3 Helps

The Kingwood Area Drainage Study called for removal of the structure. However, the Flood Control District said they did not have funding for it. The structure was also not on property owned by the District.

Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey provided the funds out of his budget for the removal of the old crossing  The Bear Branch Trail Association provided funding to purchase and install the new bridge.  The total cost of the flood-mitigation project exceeded $300,000.

The flow area under the new bridge is more than 20 times that of the old low-water crossing.  

Chris Bloch

“In addition to mitigating upstream flooding, installation of the new bridge improves the safety of school children and other trail walkers who cross Bens Branch,” said Bloch.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/19/2026, based on information provided by Chris Bloch

3277 Days since Harvey