Tag Archive for: Northpark expansion

Northpark Expansion Still Making Progress Despite Holidays

12/10/24 – Halfway between Christmas and New Year’s, Harper Brothers Construction is still making progress on Northpark Expansion. The pace appears to have slowed somewhat. But that’s because of the current focus on subsurface drainage. Installing reinforced concrete box culverts takes significantly longer than work above ground.

It appears that all of the old westbound road bed between Caliber Collision and the railroad tracks has been removed except for driveways.

Meanwhile, farther east, I spotted more concrete being poured in the middle in preparation for additional demolition of westbound lanes.

Pictures Taken 12/10/24

Looking east from just west of Russell Palmer. Note new concrete being poured in middle of frame.
Closer shot of today’s pour near Shipley’s. Still looking east.
Wider shot looking west shows significant progress where old drainage ditch used to be in center.
Installation of box culverts in front of Caliber Collision. Notice: old road bed removed between here and railroad tracks.

The area above is where surface turn lanes will diverge from westbound traffic headed over an as-yet-unbuilt bridge over the railroad tracks.

Coffer dam protects workers from cave ins as they work underground.

Up Next

In other news, according to the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website:

  • Waterline crews will continue transferring water services from the Porter SUD to the City of Houston waterline.
  • Dirt crews will backfill new paving on Loop 494 and excavate for the asphalt transition on each end to tie into the new concrete paving
  • Next week, project managers have scheduled a traffic switch on LP 494. They will move all traffic onto the new concrete paving, and close off the existing LP 494.
  • Another traffic switch during the week of 12/16 will occur just east of Kings Mill to the east end of the project. Traffic will detour into the middle closing off the existing eastbound lanes.

To see what happens when, consult the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority project pages or the schedule below.

For More Information

To learn more about the project history, consult these ReduceFlooding.com posts:

The next meeting of the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority Board will be Thursday morning at 8am at the Kingwood Community Center.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/10/24

2660 Days since Hurricane Harvey

TIRZ Board Discusses Additional Financing for Northpark Expansion

11/15/24 – The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 Board met yesterday to discuss Northpark expansion, including:

  • The progress of the project, designed to create the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood
  • Railroad crossing signal work by Union Pacific
  • Scope changes for Phase 2
  • Debt capacity and cash flow
  • Another $48 million in short- and long-term financing.

Two Meetings in One

On a somewhat funny note, the board covered the first half of the agenda while standing in front of a locked Kingwood Community Center.

Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 Board Meeting began outside at 8 AM in blinding sunlight.

After the keymaster finally arrived…

The meeting concluded indoors, much to the relief of everyone’s dermatologists.

Here is the agenda. And here is a link to the 342-page board packet (warning 27.5 mb download).

Upcoming Railroad Signal Work Influencing Construction Focus for Next Month

The UnionPacific (UP) Railroad will start installing new crossing signals in the area beginning in January. Their crew will start at Knox Road north of Northpark and work their way south. The exact date for Northpark is unknown because it’s not clear how long the Knox intersection will take.

As trains come down the tracks, they communicate sequentially with signals. All signals must communicate with each other as well as trains. So, it’s a big job. UP has only one crew to handle this type of work in 26 states.

They want to come here once and handle Knox and Northpark at the same time. If they can’t, it could delay Northpark construction for an undetermined amount of time.

So contractors for the TIRZ and utilities are putting on a full-court press to prep work near the railroad. They are racing to finish:

  • Soil tests and environmental approvals
  • Boring under both Northpark and Loop 494
  • Relocation of water mains and other utilities such as gas, electric and telecommunications
  • Drainage
  • Dirt work for all surface lanes both north and south of where the bridge will eventually go.

Change Orders for Phase 2

The board also approved two change orders for Phase 2 – the portion of the project that stretches from about a 1000 feet east of Russell Palmer Road to just past Woodland Hills Drive.

The first change order had to do with an expansion of scope to accommodate new TXDoT requirements for sound, air quality, environmental, and archaeological studies.

A second change order dealt with evaluating additional detention pond sites and updating the drainage report for submittal to TXDoT.

The project team is currently planning to build a 90-acre-foot detention basin to reduce flooding on Ben’s Branch downstream from Northpark Drive.

Additional Debt Capacity

The most complicated discussion of the meeting had to do with a cash flow analysis and additional debt capacity.

Ralph De Leon, the TIRZ manager, presented two documents: a 5-year cash flow analysis and a 30-year debt-capacity analysis.

Taken together, they show that when Phase 1 is ramping down and Phase 2 is ramping up, expenses would exceed cash flow, so additional borrowing will be needed. The analyses also showed that there is sufficient debt capacity to do so.

To be clear, this is not an increase in the cost of the project. It’s just an increase in borrowing authority to cover a temporary spike in the cost. The analysis shows that future cash flows after project completion will easily pay back the debt.

It is not clear yet what form the debt will take, i.e., whether its short-term borrowing from a bank or the issuance of longer-term bonds. Those details have yet to be worked out.

Because federal funding is involved in Phase 2, the project must be fully funded before construction starts. A revised cash-flow analysis showing the debt-capacity increase will show the federal government that the TIRZ has what it takes to complete the project.

11/15/24 Pictures of Construction Progress

I took the pictures below this morning.

Looking NW at Corner of Northpark and Loop 494. Note two new southbound lanes.
Same intersection but looking southbound
Same intersection again, but looking westbound. Some drainage and dirt work must still be completed before crews can begin paving the north side of Northpark.

At the board meeting, De Leon also discussed a change in ownership of the Exxon Station at US59. The owner reportedly anticipates rebuilding the station farther back to accommodate road expansion to the south.

The Exxon station will likely move where the car wash now is in the upper left.
Looking E from Loop 494. Note crews working on both sides of Northpark just beyond tracks.

In the last shot, the crews are burying electrical lines. They will be encased in RED concrete as a warning to anyone excavating near them in the future.

For More Information

To learn more about Northpark Expansion and see a 3-week look-ahead schedule, consult the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ-10 project pages.

For more about project history, consult these ReduceFlooding.com posts:

Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/15/24

2635 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Focus of Northpark Expansion Work Moves Toward Loop 494

11/8/24 – A trip down Northpark Drive today revealed that the focus of Northpark expansion work is shifting west from Russell Palmer toward Loop 494 and US59. The project will create the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood. Here’s where things stand.

Major Accomplishments since Last Northpark Post

Since my last Northpark expansion update, contractors for the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 have:

  • Paved a new crossover at Russell Palmer Road
  • Removed about 1,600 feet of the of the old westbound lanes between Sherwin Williams and Loop 494
  • Begun repaving an expanded Loop 494 for about a block north and a block south of Northpark Drive to accommodate extra turn lanes.
  • Prepped the area on the north side of Northpark and west of 494 (Shell to Chick-Fil-A) for paving
  • Worked on new water connections for Northpark businesses.

See the five images below that correspond to the bullet points above.

New crossover at Russell Palmer
Facing E along Northpark near Public Storage. Concrete from old lanes removed in preparation for new surface turn lanes adjacent to bridge.
Looking S toward Northpark at new Loop 494 lanes
Facing W along Northpark toward US59 at area being prepped for paving in coming weeks
Example of water-line work.

The new water lines will enable the removal of old fire hydrants that stand in the way of roadway expansion.

Next Up for Northpark Expansion

A new look-ahead schedule posted today shows that in the next three weeks, work will include:

  • Continue working on waterlines
  • Do more dirt work from Culver’s to Chick-Fil-A
  • Install 6×5 reinforced concrete box culverts from the Quick Quack to the railroad tracks
  • Place Type C inlets on LP 494. (often used to collect runoff from large depressed areas or highway medians)
  • Place base from Culver’s to Chick-Fil-A
  • Prep driveways along west side of Loop 494 to tie into new paving
  • Prep for more paving on west side of Loop 494
  • Pour more Fast-Track concrete on west side of Loop 494
  • Mobilize to Russel Palmer to begin prepping both east- and westbound lanes from Russel Palmer to the end of the project.

Then, they’re back to adding more east- and west-bound lanes on Northpark.  

Pictures of Upcoming Work

Expect to see major work in these areas before Thanksgiving.

Looking west toward UP tracks. Culverts waiting for installation before new surface turn lanes can be constructed next to bridge over tracks.
Facing N along 494 toward Northpark. Pavement and driveways will be constructed the left of the new lanes above.
Looking west on Northpark toward Russell Palmer from over Kingwood Diversion Ditch.

For More Information

For a more detailed schedule of what will happen when, see the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website.

For a history of the project, consult the ReduceFlooding posts below.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/8/24

2628 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Northpark Crossover at Russell Palmer Closed Friday through Sunday

10/23/24 – Starting Friday 10/25/24 at 8 PM through Monday 10/28/24 at 5AM, contractors will close the Northpark crossover at Russell Palmer Road to pour new concrete in the median. See location of the X in the diagram below.

That means northbound traffic on Russell Palmer will not be able to turn west (left) toward 59. Nor will westbound traffic on Northpark be able to turn south onto Russell Palmer. In each case, traffic must detour by looping around to another open crossover then doubling back.

 Eastbound and westbound traffic on Northpark drive will not be affected.

In my 10/11 post on Northpark expansion, I implied that Northpark traffic would be closed also. That was a mistake. It will remain open in both directions.

Only area within boundaries of red box will be closed. Picture taken on 10/11 for previous post.

To minimize inconvenience caused by the crossover closure, crews will place rebar and pour concrete directly on compacted dirt, rather than putting asphalt down first.

Utility Conflicts Almost Eliminated

Elsewhere on Northpark, CenterPoint was working to remove the last of its power poles. That means the last of the utility obstacles should soon be out of the way for road construction crews.

Exact Dates of Total Closure, Bridge Construction Still Not Determined

Work is expected to begin on the frontage roads over the UPRR tacks in January. Motorists can expect a 3-day closure of Northpark Drive in either January or February as UPRR crews remove and replace more than 200 feet of railroad tracks.

The exact date of the closure depends on how quickly the railroad crew completes other work. They will also be reconstructing the crossing farther north on the tracks at Knox road. Union Pacific is trying to schedule both projects back to back. 

Construction on the bridge structure itself is still a year away.

Phase-2 Preparations Underway

TxDOT approved the proposed schematics for Phase 2 earlier this year. Phase 2 will:

  • Expand Northpark Drive from Russell Palmer Road to east of Woodland Hills Drive from four to six lanes
  • Replace both bridges at the Kingwood Diversion Ditch
  • Replace the roadway crossing at Ben’s Branch. 
  • Add a 90-acre foot detention basin for more stormwater mitigation and to control flow into the Diversion Ditch.

Now, that TxDOT has approved schematics for Phase 2, LHRA is conducting land surveys, obtaining rights of entry, and preparing documents needed to acquire roadway right-of-way and drainage easements.

Ralph De Leon, TIRZ manager, explained the primary reason for extending the extra lanes east past Woodland Hills. It has to do with drainage, specifically eliminating a huge depression in the roadbed. The road dips from west of the Diversion Ditch almost to Woodland Hills. He said engineers want to establish a consistent elevation between high points.

The purpose of the expansion project is to accommodate growth and create an all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 Kingwood residents.

“All the work we’re doing in Phase 1 would do no good in an evacuation if people couldn’t get to it,” he said.

Red X on left at Bens Branch corresponds to X in elevation profile on right. Source: USGS National Map Viewer.

Construction of Phase 2, however, is still several years away.

For More Information

Consult the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority project pages. Or see these ReduceFlooding posts:

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/23/24

2612 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Northpark Expansion Shifting into Higher Gear

10/11/24 – The Northpark expansion project has definitely shifted into a higher gear. Today, contractors poured the fourth stretch of concrete along Northpark Drive in four weeks.

Today’s work focused on a new eastbound lane stretching from Russell Palmer Road to approximately 1,000 feet west.

Contractors began at 3 AM on the west and had worked their way east to Russell Palmer by 10 AM when I took the pictures below.

Looking W. Note fresh concrete left of center running virtually to Russell Palmer in foreground.
Looking E. Crews worked like a well oiled machine, spreading then smoothing the concrete.
They still need to pave additional lanes north (right) of the one they paved today.

The purpose of the expansion project is to accommodate growth and create an all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 Kingwood residents.

Crossover Closures

To pave the additional lanes, Harper Brothers Construction closed all of the Northpark crossovers between Russell Palmer Road and the entrance to Kings Mill. Crossovers east and west of that stretch will remain open. The crossovers within that stretch will remain closed for approximately two months.

Next Steps

The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority also refreshed its 3-week lookahead schedule yesterday. Next up:

  • Paving prep for westbound lanes starting at Russell Palmer and going to Northpark Christian Church
  • Traffic switch from Russell Palmer to Kings Mill
  • More dirt work from Culver’s to Chick-Fil-A for a westbound access road
  • Demolition of existing westbound lanes between Kings Mill and railroad.
  • Full closure of Russell Palmer/Northpark intersection for three days (Friday, Sat., Sun.) beginning October 25th.
  • Paving prep for:
    • Southbound lanes of Loop 494 on north side of Northpark
    • Southbound lanes of Loop 494 on south side of Northpark
    • Northbound lanes
  • Extend drainage under 494 and railroad tracks

To avoid construction delays, those who can take alternate routes for the foreseeable future probably should. Things will change on a daily basis.

For More Information

Consult the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority project pages. Or see these ReduceFlooding posts:

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/11/24

2600 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Northpark Crews Begin Pouring Concrete Monday, Road Narrowed

Northpark Drive construction crews have finished placing rebar in a 1000 foot long stretch on both sides of the entrance to Kings Mill. They will begin pouring concrete there on Monday, 9/16/24 at 3 AM. Concrete trucks will enter and leave the construction zone approximately every six minutes.

Because workers will spread the concrete next to the inbound lanes, traffic will be reduced to one lane until approximately 1 PM. However, both inbound lanes should open for the evening rush hour.

Rebar and forms ready for pour at 3AM Monday. Traffic on right will narrow to one lane to protect workers spreading the concrete.
Looking west from Kings Mill Entrance at rebar ready for concrete.

At this time, the construction team has scheduled additional concrete pours for 9/20, 9/27, and 10/1; times and dates subject to change.

Project managers evaluated all-night and all-weekend scenarios for pouring the concrete, but encountered legal restrictions having to do with worker safety and/or cost.

Back-and-Forth Paving Plan

The general plan is for crews to pour one side of one stretch of the road while prepping the other. After they finish the new middle lanes, the old outer lanes will be demolished one side at a time. They will reroute traffic to the middle lanes will reconstructing the old lanes.

At this point, neither inbound nor outbound traffic will be shut down completely, though it will narrow to one lane on the side where concrete is being poured.

Looking east at entire stretch of rebar on right. The next pour will be on other side of road.

More Visible Progress

Ralph De Leon, the project manager, emphasized that most of the wrinkles that the project experienced in the last year have been ironed out at this point. However, one small snag remains re: a switch of fire hydrants and buildings with commercial sprinkler systems on the north side of Northpark.

Several companies and a church are migrating to the City of Houston water system, and it’s apparently taking longer than expected for the City’s billing and meter installation department to catch up with the new infrastructure installation. Worst case: some businesses may get free water for a month or so.

De Leon asked for patience. “People don’t see all the work that’s going on underground, but that’s the real heavy part of the lift,” he said. “People will begin to see a lot more progress on Monday. The above-ground ‘flat work’ that everyone sees goes much faster.”

Major Steps After This

The area between the Diversion Ditch and Russell Palmer Road will be paved as part of Phase II, which includes everything up to and a little bit past Woodland Hills Drive.

Paving crews will next complete the new lanes between Russell Palmer and 494.

Looking NE across 494 and Northpark (right). First junction box has just been buried in lower left. Drainage team must next bore under 494 and railroad tracks.

Next, paving crews will turn their attention to 494.

Loop 494 will get the same alternate side of the road treatment in sections until finished.

Finally, crews will begin work west to US59.

NW corner of Northpark and Loop 494, looking west toward 59

The entry ponds will likely be among the last things completed.

In my last post, I alluded to a total shutdown of Northpark while UnionPacific installed new beds and track across the road. Originally scheduled for sometime in October or November, that will now happen in January or February.

It’s too early to tell when bridge construction over 494 will commence.

For More Information

For schematic diagrams of the paving plan, click here.

As paving moves east to west, crossovers will need to close temporarily. To see the schedule, click here.

For a three-week look-ahead schedule, visit the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website.

Also, see these posts on ReduceFlooding for a history of the project:

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/13/24

2572 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Northpark Expansion Obstacles Finally Being Addressed

6/21/24 – Entergy has removed some – but not all – blockages to the Northpark expansion project related to its equipment. The project is designed to build an all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 Kingwood residents.

Entergy removed several of its poles that blocked expansion of the roadway earlier this week.

The company is also committing to dates for the removal of other poles that remain in the way of construction.

The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ-10 first notified Entergy that it would have to move its equipment in 2020. On February 6th this year, the City of Houston finally set a firm deadline. It gave Entergy 30 days to move its equipment. That deadline was obviously missed.

Entergy says it has been working diligently to help Northpark expansion move forward. As we move into what is expected to be a very busy hurricane season, here’s where the TIRZ and Entergy say things stand and what I have been able to verify photographically.

Some Poles Already Removed Earlier This Week

Entergy removed several poles that blocked construction progress on Tuesday, June 18. They were located near Dunkin’ Donuts and Public Storage.

Note old pole on ground in front of Public Storage (out of frame to right).

Primoris, an Entergy contractor, took down that and several other poles that day.

More Entergy poles being removed by Primoris crew in front of Dunkin’ Donuts

Two other groups of poles continue to block construction, however. Here’s what Entergy is doing to address those.

Blockage #1: Poles West of Car Wash

The first blockage is a group of three poles immediately west of the Quick Quack Car Wash where new westbound turn lanes will begin. This group of poles still holds a Comcast cable. See below.

Looking W. Three short poles on left between Duncan Donuts and Quick Quack Carwash have yet to be moved.

Comcast has committed to burying this cable next week. Then Primoris can remove the poles for Entergy.

Blockage #2: Poles near Loop 494

The second group also has three poles – at Loop 494 and the Union Pacific railroad tracks. However, these three poles have two separate issues with which Entergy must contend.

  • They supply redundant power to the businesses along Northpark.
  • An Internet provider, Brightspeed, also has a line mounted on two of the three poles. (See #2 and #3 below.)
Entergy Delay Forces Change to Northpark Expansion Plan…Again
Looking W from over Northpark across 494. Three more Entergy power poles blocking Northpark Drive expansion.

To get these three poles out of the way of Northpark expansion, Entergy has three options:

  • Move them north (right in photo above)
  • Bore under the roadway and tracks
  • A combination of the above.

According to Brian Garcia, Entergy’s project manager, his company has chosen a combination of the two approaches. It will move the overhead lines north temporarily while it works out permits and easements with TXDoT and Union Pacific.

Once Entergy has secured permissions needed, it will then bury the lines, a solution that is more reliable. It is also more expensive because two moves are involved rather than one. But it should let construction move forward faster.

Entergy has committed to delivering a plan to temporarily relocate Pole #1 (in the photo above) by end of day today.

Weather permitting, Entergy also plans to actually relocate its wires on Poles #2 and #3 by 6/28/24 – next Friday. Entergy would then top its old poles. That would let BrightSpeed remove its cable. And then Primoris could remove the old poles.

Union Pacific Sets Meeting on Crossing Signals

Meanwhile, Union Pacific (UP) has set a meeting for July 9 to talk about relocating its crossing signals. It’s a firm deadline, according to De Leon, the TIRZ’s project manager for Northpark Expansion.

Unexpected delays by any party in this ballet of corporate behemoths could create a domino effect that could push the Northpark project back into next year. Or even force cancellation.

Blockage #3: Transformer At Exxon

Meanwhile, at the Exxon Station near US59, Entergy also has a transformer that must be moved farther back from the roadway. See red circle below. The distance has to do, in part, with line-of-sight issues for motorists. Its height means that it could block the view of motorists entering or leaving the roadway.

Entergy transformer at US59 (top) and Northpark (right) circled in red.

But working around the transformer presents serious construction problems. The wires leading to/from it are not up to code, according to De Leon.

He says that the City building code calls for underground wiring to be encased in steel. But the wiring in this area is not. That could jeopardize the safety of heavy equipment operators working to expand Northpark in this area.

Garcia disagrees. He says all of their equipment and lines meet or exceed all applicable building codes.

Several weeks ago, a contractor for the TIRZ did some exploratory hydro-excavation as part of its due diligence for the roadway expansion project. The contractor found Entergy wires that were exposed, not encased like De Leon says they should have been.

Wiring near Entergy transformer exposed during exploratory hydro-excavation process.

De Leon shared this photo in the June TIRZ board meeting. He says it creates a major safety issue for construction workers near the transformer. According to him, the workers could be electrocuted if, for instance, the bucket of an excavator accidentally cut one of the wires.

Garcia says Entergy crews will move the transformer. But De Leon and his contractors are concerned about what could happen if they encounter similar wires as they work in the same general area.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/21/2024

2488 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Entergy Delay Forces Change to Northpark Expansion Plan…Again

6/15/2024 – Fireworks erupted in the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ-10 Board Meeting on 6/13/24 over more Entergy delays related to the Northpark Expansion plan.

Four years after being notified to move its power poles and a transformer, Entergy still has equipment blocking the expansion. Ralph De Leon, the TIRZ project manager, explained that as a consequence, the TIRZ has been forced to modify its plans yet again.

Power Poles Conflict with Westbound Detour

Original plans called for routing westbound traffic in the vicinity of the bridge over the railroad and Loop 494 onto permanent turn lanes next to businesses. However, because Entergy power poles still stand where those turn lanes would go, LHRA decided to move traffic south, parallel to the existing eastbound lanes. See blacktop in photos and schematic diagram below.

Looking ESE from over Loop 494. Instead of funneling outbound traffic into new permanent lanes in front of the businesses on the left, commuters will use temporary lanes built on the blacktop. Photo 6/13/24.
Looking west toward US59 at asphalt that will become temporary westbound lanes. Photo 6/13/24.

The permanent concrete lanes originally were to have gone in the grassy area to the right where the first line of poles is.

Here’s a schematic diagram of the change.

For full, high-res PDF, click here.

Cost Impact Not Yet Clear

Replacing permanent lanes with alternate temporary lanes means that LHRA now will build these lanes twice instead of once. That will increase the project cost. However, no-one in the meeting mentioned an exact dollar amount.

De Leon said that in order to stick with the original traffic diversion plan, the deadline for removing the poles was last year.

Yet Entergy has not yet moved its poles where the new lanes will go. Nor have they provided a timetable for removing the poles. However, Brian Garcia, Entergy’s project manager, expressed confidence that the last poles would be removed “soon.”

It would be safe to say that most other people in the board meeting did not share his optimism. Discussion got heated at times as LHRA tried to pin Entergy down regarding a deadline. Hence, my reference to fireworks above.

Representatives of the City and TIRZ also made it clear that they intended to deduct the cost of the temporary lanes from any money that Entergy might have been entitled to for moving its transformer near the Exxon Station.

Two Groups of Poles

Two separate pole issues exist:

  • The original poles between Benjamin Moore Paints and Loop 494
  • Three key poles near the intersection of Northpark and Loop 494

The first group of poles has been “de-energized.” That means transformers and electric wires have already been moved. However, the old poles still have a fiberoptic communication line hanging from them. (Two lines in places). See below.

Looking west toward US59. Old poles on left still have fiberoptic line on them which must be moved to new poles on right. Photo 6/13/24.

The owner(s) of those remaining line(s) on the left must move them before Entergy can take down the old poles. But the fiberoptic provider has had weeks and not moved its line(s).

At the end of the line of poles above on the left sit three key poles shown in the aerial view below.

These three poles provide a redundant source of energy for businesses along Northpark. The businesses are also fed by power from Kings Mill. Photo 6/13/24

In the power business, it’s a standard/best practice to feed areas from at least two different directions. That way, if power is knocked out on one leg, the other leg can still supply homes and businesses.

Entergy has two choices with these three poles. It could move them north and continue to feed redundant power to Northpark businesses with overhead lines. Or, it could tunnel under Loop 494 and the railroad tracks. Entergy prefers to bore under for reliability reasons.

Again, Entergy’s Garcia is confident that the easements TXDot and Union Pacific require will be easy to obtain and come quickly. But the City and TIRZ do not share his confidence. They struggled for years to obtain their own easements and permits.

So, rather than just move the overhead lines north, Entergy is negotiating with TXDoT and Union Pacific to bore under their properties.

Who Will Bear Increased Costs?

After repeatedly being asked to provide a timetable for compliance, Entergy supplied none and instead shifted the conversation to its costs.

The overhead lines have sufficed for years. But Garcia says that Entergy prefers the underground option.

However, if all parties do not complete construction before October, the entire project could be delayed for months and possibly even cancelled. According to De Leon, Turner Brothers’, the prime contractor with the TIRZ, has other projects stacked up and waiting.

Turner Brothers would have to redeploy crews if they can’t keep them working on Northpark. And there’s no guarantee when those crews would be available again to work on Northpark.

But when the boardroom discussion turned to the need for Entergy to act quickly, Entergy turned the discussion to cost.

Garcia says there’s a significant cost for Entergy to move its overhead lines. If the company can bore underground instead, it would prefer to do that rather move its lines twice.

As a consequence, the TIRZ will be forced to shift traffic twice to keep the project moving.

Moreover, both the TIRZ and Entergy face a firm deadline from the railroad, whose busy season starts in October. They must have boring complete well before then with time for the railroad to lay new track and install new signal equipment.

Meanwhile, Entergy still has not moved its transformer near the Exxon Station at US59.

Argument Over Reimbursement

The transformer is outside the City’s easement but the power poles are inside.

Under Texas law, Entergy is entitled to reimbursement for costs outside City easements, but not those inside.

Ralph De Leon, Northpark Expansion Project Manager

Paying to move poles inside City easements would constitute a “gift of public funds,” which is illegal.

The two sides reached a tentative agreement on reimbursement last December. But then in January, Entergy demanded double the agreed total – without explanation or itemization.

In the June TIRZ board meeting, Garcia said he still needed to get the itemized costs approved by his management.

TIRZ directors (who are unpaid volunteers) could become liable for illegal payments to Entergy, hence the demand for itemized costs.

Other Northpark News

The pace of construction has also slowed due to heavy rains in May, which still have soils wet. When they dry out, contractors will resume:

Preparing to pour new concrete

  • Demolishing old concrete near Loop 494
  • Excavating the south pond at the US59 entry
  • Installing culverts
Looking E at progress of culverts. Ponding water in ditch (foreground) has slowed installation. Photo 6/13/24

For More Information

For more information about Northpark expansion, visit the project pages of the LHRA/Tirz 10 website. Or see these posts on ReduceFlooding. Many contain information about previous delays that caused plan changes:

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/15/24

2482 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Flickinger Provides Updates On Gates, Dredging, Northpark, More

City of Houston District E Council Member Fred Flickinger addressed a group of local executives at the Kingwood Country Club this morning. He covered a wide range of topics, both in his talk and during Q&A. They included the status of five flood-related topics for the Lake Houston Area:

  • New Gates for the Lake Houston Dam
  • Seasonal Lake Lowering
  • Additional dredging in Lake Houston
  • Kingwood Diversion Ditch expansion
  • Last weekend’s flooding on Northpark Drive
Flickinger addressing the Kingwood Executive Group at the Kingwood Country Club on 4/24/24

Floodgate Construction Could Start in ’25 or ’26

Within two sentences of standing up, Flickinger got straight to the subject of flooding and new, bigger floodgates for the Lake Houston Dam. He said, “Obviously, the big thing is getting additional gates. That is currently pending a FEMA review and approval.”

He continued, “We have about $150 million secured for those. Much of that has come via Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s office. Also the State, thanks to Representatives Dan Huberty and Charles Cunningham, and Dave Martin, my predecessor. Stephen Costello [the City’s Flood Czar] has also all done great work. They’ve all really done yeomen’s jobs getting money for the dam gates.”

Looking S. New gates will be built in the earthen portion of the dam to the left of the four small gates you see now.

“We’re looking at construction probably in late 2025 or sometime in 2026,” said Flickinger. “That’s obviously the biggest key to reducing flooding.”

Flickinger also said that he believes the current Mayor remains committed to the project.

Seasonal Lake Lowering

Regarding lowering Lakes Houston and Conroe, Flickinger said the City and SJRA have moved to an event-driven strategy rather than a seasonal one. Automatically lowering the level of Lake Conroe twice a year to reduce flood risk in the Lake Houston Area generated pushback from Lake Conroe residents.

For some time now, the politically divisive strategy has been replaced by an “as-needed” lake-lowering policy in one or both lakes depending on where and when rain falls.

However, the “as needed” policy requires precise forecasting. And several times lately, rain has shifted at the last minute. Ironically, that supports the need for bigger gates that release water faster. They can create extra storage in Lake Houston while still reducing the lead time needed, so forecasters can be absolutely certain of the need to lower the lake.

After all, that’s the drinking water supply for more than 2 million people. You don’t want to lower it needlessly if it won’t be refilled right away.

More Dredging on Tap

Flickinger next addressed the need for more dredging. He said that the City is currently removing another 800,000 yd³ of sediment between Kings Point and FM1960.

“Again, funding for that largely came from Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s office,” he said. “Some people in the government questioned whether that was Harvey-related sediment. But we got the funding! And dredging has started. So that’s a really good thing.”

Diversion Ditch/Walnut Lane Bridge

“The next issue with flooding,” said Flickinger, “is really the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.” The ditch cuts south from St. Martha’s Catholic Church to River Grove Park through the western portion of Kingwood.

“The Walnut Lane Bridge has about a fourth of the surface area below it that the Kingwood Drive and North Park Bridges have. Because of that, it works somewhat like a dam. Crenshaw just secured $4 million to address that, but we have got to have a cost/benefit ratio of one or greater, which will be a challenge. So, we’re working on that.”

Looking north along Diversion Ditch. Notice how it narrows under the Walnut Lane Bridge.

“And that money probably won’t become available for another six months. Hopefully, we can get that cost/benefit analysis to where we need it by then and use that money to rebuild the Walnut Lane Bridge. It’s a huge deal that affects Trailwood, Forest Cove, and even people who live along Bens Branch.”

“Part of the water from Ben’s branch is actually supposed to go to the lake via the Diversion Ditch,” said Flickinger. (That’s how the ditch got its name.) However, Flickinger noted that when the Diversion Ditch backs up, water goes down Bens Branch instead.

“And we’re getting more and more of that because of the development in Montgomery County…That’s part of why Kingwood High School flooded.”

Northpark Flooding

Last weekend, Northpark Drive flooded near the construction zone.

At the time, I conjectured that one or more of the drains may have been blocked. Flickinger revealed the cause this morning.

He said the drain was never tied into the new drainage system.

“It turns out that they had a change in foremen on the job, and one of the drains was not connected to the storm sewer.”

Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger

“That is what caused that big fiasco. Now our office is going to contact the construction team every time we have a significant rain event and ask them to double check, so we don’t have any issues obstructing stormwater,” said Flickinger.

“Anytime you’ve got construction, there’s a certain amount of mess associated with it. But obviously, we don’t need somebody causing flooding by forgetting or blocking something.”

Looking E along Northpark on Sunday morning, 4/21/24 at area where drain was not tied in.

Before Flickinger had to leave for a meeting downtown, it became clear to everyone in the room that flooding was one of his primary concerns.

For someone who’s been in the job less than four months, he was very aware of the complex intricacies and interdependencies of the Lake Houston Area’s drainage problems. And that was very encouraging news!

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/24/24

2430 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Northpark Culvert Installation Resumes

Northpark culvert installation resumed in a major way last week.

For several months, utility conflicts stalled installation of the 6’x8′ box culverts down the center of Northpark Drive. During preparation of the center ditch, contractors found gas lines buried at insufficient depth.

With those conflicts now resolved, according to Project Manager Ralph De Leon, installation of the box culverts can now resume. When contractors complete the culverts, dirt will be placed on top of them, and then two lanes of pavement on top of the dirt. The result will be a Northpark Drive that expands inward instead of outward. It will create three lanes in each direction…that should not flood like the thoroughfare currently does.

The expansion project has two primary goals:

  • Get more people in and out of Kingwood faster…
  • …in all weather conditions, even when other thoroughfares are cut off by flooding.

During Hurricane Harvey, West Lake Houston Parkway, Hamblen, Kingwood Drive, and parts of Mills Branch Road were all blocked by rising floodwaters.

Pictures of Installation Progress as of 4/15/24

Since my last post on 4/8/24, contractors completed installation of the culvert at Parkwood Baptist Church and are working their way west past Russell Palmer Road. Today, they were working in front of Shipley’s Donuts.

Looking E. Northpark culvert installation west of Russell Palmer Road near top of frame.
Looking E at Northpark culvert installation. Heavy equipment lifting massive section of culvert to place in hole.
Once men finish prepping the hole in the background…
…step and repeat for almost another mile to 494.

In Other Northpark News

Entergy managed to install five more power poles in the last week. That brings their total to nine in four years.

The new power poles sit back farther from the street. That will create room for four more lanes of traffic adjacent to the bridge that will go over the railroad tracks at 494. The four include two inbound turn lanes and two outbound turn lanes to/from 494.

Project managers first notified Entergy of the need to move the poles in 2020. Construction experts tell me the project could have easily been completed by now.

Not much new has happened at the entry ponds at 59. Heavy rains a week ago have the bottoms covered with water.

Looking west at area that will become the North Pond. Parts of new turn lanes are already being used, reducing traffic congestion somewhat.
Looking SW at South Pond
More culvert awaiting installation which will carry excess stormwater between ponds and Ditch One.

See the route below. It will go behind the businesses on the north side of Northpark until reaching the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch.

Northpark Drive drainage improvements

That pretty much does it for visible progress during the last week.

For More Information

For more information about Northpark expansion, visit the project pages of the LHRA/Tirz 10 website. Or see these posts on ReduceFlooding:

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/15/24

2421 Days since Hurricane Harvey

The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.