Tag Archive for: northpark

Northpark Reduced to One Outbound Lane Friday Morning

10/2/24 – The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 has announced that it will reduce Northpark Drive outbound traffic to one lane Friday (10/4/24) from about 3AM to 1PM. Contractors will be pouring concrete next to existing lanes. Crews need part of one lane for both construction work and their safety.

Men will spread and smooth new concrete from the old roadway as they previously did in eastbound lanes two weeks ago.

The work will take place between Loop 494 and Russell Palmer Road. Currently crews are preparing the base with asphalt. They should be ready to create a rebar grid on all of part of the asphalt areas beginning tomorrow.

Another concrete pour is scheduled for the following Friday, 10/11/24, weather permitting.

Pictures of Progress

Below are pictures of the project’s progress since my last post in mid-September.

Looking ESE toward Russell Palmer intersection in upper left. Note new asphalt between inbound and outbound lanes.
Looking WSW. Note: concrete for part of one westbound lane has already been poured to roughly Italiano’s.
Looking at previous pours and area where new pour will extend past Kings Mill Entrance.
Looking W. Area in front of Kings Mill entrance has already been completed on south side. Workers are removing forms. Forms have already been installed over asphalt on north side, but no rebar yet.
Looking W toward 59 in background. More drainage work is underway on both north and south sides of Norpark.
Looking W toward Russell Palmer from in front of Calvary Church at new blacktop.
Looking W at workers laying asphalt on both north and south sides of median over the drainage culverts.

Remember: the road will widen inward, not outward except near the bridge.

Visible Progress Accelerating

Contractors have completed most, but not all, of the underground drainage work at this point. They still have to:

  • Complete drainage from Loop 494 to US59
  • Build surface lanes that will parallel the new bridge over Loop 494.
  • Tunnel under the railroad tracks to install drainage that will convey stormwater from entry ponds to “Ditch One” behind the businesses that line the north side of Northpark.
  • Connect all the pieces of the drainage system.

But the lion’s share of underground work – the most difficult part of road construction – has finished.

Now contractors are focused on pavement that people can actually see. And it’s moving along rapidly thanks to cooperative weather.

The project paving plan and the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website indicate they will attempt to complete a 1680 stretch of westbound lane on Friday. Additional segments will follow.

Before then, though, contractors are returning dirt to the site that had been excavated and stored temporarily during installation of the culverts. They will then prepare the raised areas for future concrete pours by installing a base of asphalt and a grid of rebar.

Here’s a schedule posted yesterday for the next three weeks.

Vision

The long-term vision for the thoroughfare is to create an all-weather access road that will facilitate both evacuation and growth. The six lanes will have the width of freeway lanes. A bridge will carry those six lanes of traffic over Loop 494. And four additional surface turn lanes will be built near the bridge. They will let traffic turn left and right from each of the four directions.

The extra runoff will be stored in stormwater retention basins that bracket the expansion project at 59.

For More Information

The posts below contain a history of the project.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/2/24

2591 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

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

Northpark Entergy Saga: New Power Poles Slowly Going Up

In the latest episode of the Northpark Entergy saga, last week, Entergy finally began erecting new power poles outside of the Northpark Drive expansion right of way. While this is a huge improvement after four years of no Entergy activity, don’t get too excited.

In its quest to help develop an all weather evacuation route for 78,000 people, Entergy managed to erect four poles in five days. And there’s no sign of progress near Entergy’s transformer by the Exxon station at US59 either.

In other Northpark news:

  • The extra northbound turn lanes at 59 seem to be complete almost all the way back to Chick-Fil-A.
  • At Russell Palmer and Northpark, the crossover closure will take longer than expected.
  • Construction of the four decorative planting areas in the two stormwater retention-basins at US59 is now complete and contractors have filled in dirt behind the retaining walls.

See photos and details below.

Last of four decorative landscaping areas (right) is now complete and backfilled.
Entergy … La La, La La La!

On 4/2, I reported that Entergy had delivered new power poles to Northpark in preparation for moving their lines out of the City right of way.

Five days later and four years after first being notified, Entergy appears to have erected a grand total of four poles while others remain scattered on the ground.

The four Entergy power poles erected along Northpark during the week of April 1, 2024

Here’s what two look like from the ground.

See new poles on the right. Entergy has not yet placed equipment on any poles, nor has it relocated wires.

Meanwhile, many of the poles they delivered to the job site last week remain scattered on the ground.

Looking E. Northpark Drive (on right). UP Railroad Tracks out of frame on the bottom.

Moving the poles back will make room to construct turn lanes from Northpark onto Loop 494.

As I photographed Entergy’s underwhelming progress, I was reminded of what American ingenuity can achieve when companies put their shoulders into projects.

For instance, the transcontinental railroad took six years to build. Even more impressive is what the companies could achieve in a day…without modern equipment.

The Union Pacific once laid eight miles of track in a single day. Stung by the competition, “the Central Pacific concocted a plan to lay 10 miles in a day. Eight tracklayers put down 3,520 rails, while other workers laid 25,800 ties and drove 28,160 spikes in a single day.”

Compare that to Entergy’s four poles in four years. I guess that’s what happens when you give companies a monopoly in an area.

On February 6, the City of Houston gave Entergy an ultimatum to have the project completed by March 8. Tomorrow will be April 8.

Entergy appears to have put its A Team on the project. Speaking of A Teams, it only took three years to invent the atomic bomb, test it, deliver it, and conclude World War II.

But of course, Entergy is dealing with electricity and there are safety issues involved.

Entergy transformer at US59 still unmoved.

The Entergy transformer will require some study. To inspire public confidence, Entergy reportedly is putting its top engineers on the project.

Northbound Turn Lanes onto US59

On a happier note, traffic is now using new northbound turn lanes at US59, temporarily eliminating a huge bottleneck…until new pavement will go down for the existing lanes.

Looking W from 59 toward 494. North is left.

A new schedule posted by the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority shows that most work in the next month will focus on underground utilities. Those include water lines, storm drains, and box culverts on both sides of the street.

According to the schedule, Harper Bothers Construction will also install the giant reinforced box culverts in the median of Northpark toward 59 for the rest of the month.

Before pavement goes farther east, more underground work is needed. Note culvert lined up in front of businesses.

Russell Palmer Crossover Work Delayed

The work near the Russell Palmer intersection must be taking longer than expected. Originally it was supposed to be finished by tomorrow morning at 5AM. But the new schedule shows it being completed by next Friday, 4/12/24.

A flashing sign along Northpark this morning warmed motorists to expect daily lane closures. However, there were none this morning. And contrary to earlier announcements, motorists were making it through the intersection.

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 4/7/24

2413 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.

February ’24 Northpark Expansion Update Including Lane Closures

In the past two weeks, construction activity for the Northpark expansion project has focused primarily on the ponds at US59 that will double as detention basins.

However, progress has also been made farther east. CenterPoint has been busy relocating gas lines. Contractors now have signed right-of-entry permits to UnionPacific (UP) property. And they have been busy installing a storm-sewer junction box in front of the Shell Station at Loop 494.

But the thing most people will notice this week is that two of the four outbound lanes on Northpark at 59 are now closed and will remain that way for several months.

Entry Ponds

I took all the pictures below during the last week of February 2024. For the first time, you can clearly see the outlines of both ponds. Contractors started on the north pond first. So, it is further along. But the outline of the south pond, ringed by transplanted trees, is now also clearly visible.

Looking N at S Pond
Closer shot shows three more decorative areas for plantings, one on each side of the triangle.
Men working on foundation for retaining wall around one of the landscaping areas along Northpark Drive.
Reverse angle. Looking S at N pond.
Retaining wall around area to be landscaped was just completed and contractors were removing forms for concrete.
Pipe for storm drains is being stockpiled in North Pond.

As you can see from these photos, the sides of the ponds will slope toward the middle. Maximum depth for each pond will be about 20 feet.

According to Northpark Expansion Project Manager Ralph De Leon, excavation currently is down to about 7 feet max, the approximate location of the water table. So, the ponds will eventually get almost three times deeper than they are now. That’s a lot of dirt to move!

Contractors will use the dirt to fill in over the box culverts which will go down the center of Northpark. But because of several utility conflicts, placement of the box culverts had to be put on hold.

So, contractors are storing the dirt at the Eagle Sorters Sand Mine on the West Fork. It will be transported back to Northpark when needed.

Stored dirt (center) from entry ponds at the Eagle Mine on Sorters-McClellan Road.

After Harvey, the Army Corps used the Eagle Mine as a placement area for sand and silt dredged from the San Jacinto West Fork.

Once contractors place the dirt over the culverts, they can then begin paving two additional lanes of traffic over where the center ditch used to be.

UnionPacific

Now that all the legal agreements are in place and engineering plans have been approved, work can begin around the UP tracks. It won’t happen immediately though. According to UP, rail traffic is now in its peak season. In the coming months, expect to see three types of activity.

  • Boring under the tracks to take excess stormwater from the entry ponds to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch via Ditch One.
  • Placement of a one-piece concrete bed/continuous section of track over the project area with signal upgrades
  • Creation of ground-level feeder roads/turn lanes on each side of main lanes which will bridge over the tracks.
ditch one
Looking E at Ditch One, Part of Northpark Expansion Drainage. Northpark is in upper right.

Northpark Expansion Project Lane Closures

Starting yesterday, 2/26/24, two westbound lanes on Northpark at 59 closed temporarily for reconstruction during the next few months.

During the first month, the existing left turn lane and one through lane will remain open. Then traffic will switch onto the newly constructed lanes, while the other lanes are completed. The contractor will install new storm sewer pipes and inlets along with new concrete roadway.

Looking N. Demolition has already begun on two westbound lanes.
At 4 PM on Tuesday afternoon, OUTBOUND traffic on northpark was backed up past Russell-Palmer Road because of the lane closures.

Westbound traffic should expect delays and alternative routes are encouraged.

Judging by the outbound delay I saw today, I plan to avoid this bottleneck for the duration of the Northpark Expansion project.

Other Activity

The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority (LHRA) and City Councilmember Fred Flickinger are scheduled to meet with the City Attorney on Thursday, 2/29/24, to discuss the Entergy issue. After years of discussion, the utility has not yet begun moving its power lines and transformer out of the way.

LHRA will hold a board meeting on March 14th, in part, to discuss Entergy options.

On Friday, March 15, the City, LHRA and Entergy will meet. Hopefully, they will come to an agreement that doesn’t involve legal action, which could increase costs and cause delays.

Reminder: Phase II Meeting on March 7

Also don’t forget the public input session on March 7 from 5-7 PM. LHRA and TxDOT will discuss plans for the next phase of the project. It will reach past Woodland Hills Drive.

Thursday, March 7, 2024
from 5-7 p.m.
Kingwood Park Community Center
4102 Rustic Woods Dr.
Kingwood, TX 77345

Part of Northpark Phase II

The Northpark Expansion project will not only move traffic faster, it will create an all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 people in the Kingwood and Porter areas. During Harvey, other evacuation routes were cut off.

For More Information

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

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/27/24

2373 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.

Northpark Tree Transplantation Finished, Drainage Updates

Despite constant rain that brought widespread flooding to the Houston region last week, contractors finished the Northpark tree transplantation. They also made significant progress on two other parts of the road expansion project since my last update two weeks ago. I took the pictures below on 2/1/24 with one exception.

Among the highlights:

  • Dozens of trees were transplanted on the south side of Northpark at US59. The trees now form an arc around what will eventually become a decorative pond/retention basin on the south side of the intersection.
  • Excavation of a companion decorative pond/retention basin on the north side of Northpark is much farther along than in my previous report.
  • The first leg of 8-foot culvert linking the ponds with Ditch One is almost complete. The other two legs (under the railroad tracks and from US59 to Loop 494) should start within weeks.

Ideal Weather for Northpark Tree Transplantation

The cool, wet weather created ideal conditions for the transplanted trees to take root and thrive. Ralph De Leon, project manager, noted that the spacing of the trees also gives them room to spread and thrive.

Each transplanted tree has a ring around the base designed to retain supplemental water. The trees will receive extra water for two years to ensure they thrive after the shock of being transplanted.

Looking south. Transplanted trees will form a backdrop for what will soon become another decorative pond.

Pond Excavation Progress

Meanwhile, across Northpark, excavation of the first of two ponds is proceeding despite the wet weather.

Looking north. Across Northpark Drive, excavation of the pond/retention basin is already well underway.
Reverse angle of same area makes it easier to see the extent of excavation.

Excavated dirt is being stored temporarily at a sand mine on Sorters-McClellan Road. After the culverts are installed down the center of Northpark, contractors will retrieve the excavated dirt and place it over the culvert sections to form the road bed.

The pond above will go 8-12 feet deeper than you see now. The contractor is only digging down to the water table for now until: a) pond liners arrive and b) drainage connections for the ponds are complete. That’s because the contractors will have to continuously pump water as they excavate to the final depth.

Pond Landscaping Plans

That horse-shoe-shaped area on the left (above and below) will be a decorative focal point for the pond.

The trench you see above will contain a brick retaining wall that keeps the area from eroding into the ponds.

Final design of the north pond will look like this.

The peninsula will contain decorative trees, shrubs and other plantings.

The next diagram shows how the north and south ponds will closely mirror each other.

Current plans call for colorful crepe myrtles. Japanese ardisia, a ground cover, will ring the area.

Japanese ardisia, also called marlberry, is a flowering, evergreen ground cover introduced from the Far East. It is a low-growing, woody shrub that spreads laterally while growing to a height of 8-12 inches.

No Identifying Entry Signage

Unlike Kingwood Drive, where KSA owns the land behind the ponds, TXDoT owns all the land at Northpark Drive. So you will not see any prominent Kingwood identification as you do at Kingwood Drive.

Drainage Progress Between Railroad and Ditch One

The entry ponds above will drain to “Ditch One.” The ditch runs parallel to Northpark behind the businesses on the north side of the road.

Culverts will carry the water from the ponds eastward, then under Loop 494 and the railroad tracks. The culvert will then turn north and back east again behind the businesses (see red line below).

Route of culvert from entry ponds to Ditch Ditch One.
Route of drainage from north pond to Ditch One. Photo from 1/24.

The agreement with UnionPacific to tunnel under the tracks has been completed and the plans approved. However, tunneling has not yet started. UP indicated that their busy season ends after February, so boring under the tracks will likely be delayed until then for safety reasons.

Regardless, the link to Ditch One around the storage businesses above is almost complete. Culvert has already been buried parallel to the tracks and behind two storage businesses.

Looking SW. Culvert placement almost complete. Contracts use the dirt to level ground above the culvert.

Existing drainage will join the new culvert behind those businesses. Currently, contractors are working on the junction. See below.

The new 8′ pipe from the ponds is the one with the man standing inside of it.

Contractors are also working on the outfall into the ditch. Because of the expected velocity of the water, they must create concrete walls to prevent erosion of the surrounding earth that could undermine the pipe.

Start of the concrete outfall into Ditch One.
ditch one
Ditch One (center) will then carry the stormwater to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch.

Ditch One will eventually be widened to handle the increased flow. Connecting the ponds at US59 to the link under the railroad tracks should start in the next few weeks.

The project requires the additional retention and drainage capacity shown above to handle runoff from the extra lanes of traffic.

In front of the businesses shown above, Northpark will eventually expand to 10 lanes from the current four. Six will carry traffic on a bridge over the railroad and Loop 494. Four turn lanes will remain at ground level – two on each side of the bridge. The two will let traffic turn north or south onto 494 from each direction.

Built to TXDoT Highway Standards

This entire project is being built to TXDoT highway standards. Those standards exceed normal neighborhood street standards. You would expect nothing less for what will eventually become a critical evacuation route for 78,000 people.

  • Lanes will be 12-feet wide instead of 10 to safely carry traffic at higher speeds.
  • Concrete will be much thicker than normal to carry heavier loads without cracking.
  • Storm drains will be sized to carry the volume of runoff you would expect from highways. The wider inlets will help avoid water flooding roads during intense rainfalls.

Greater Safety at Rail Crossing/Loop 494

Safety will also improve at the railroad crossing.

  • A bridge will carry most traffic over the railroad.
  • The entire train track at Northpark will have a one-piece steel and concrete foundation. That will reduce the chance of track shifting or dipping and causing a derailment.
  • Pedestrian/bicycle crossings will have “escape gates” in case people get caught on tracks when trains come through.

However, installation of those safety improvements will cause some inconvenience. To install that one-piece steel and concrete foundation, the railroad will shut down for three days. That will require closing off Northpark for three days also.

Originally, project managers hoped to have four lanes open at all times for the duration of the project. So this is a change.

All in all, a 3-day shutdown is small price to pay for a great improvement in safety.

The road closure is still months away.

For More Information

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

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/2/24

2348 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Northpark South Starts Clearing Wetlands, Floodplain

Colorado-based Century Land Holdings of Texas, LLC has started clearing land for Northpark South in Porter along the West Fork of the San Jacinto River at the west end of Northpark Drive.

Documents from the Houston Planning Commission, USGS, and FEMA; eyewitness accounts from nearby residents and flood professionals; and aerial photos indicate:

  • Most of the area is in floodplains defined decades ago and not updated since.
  • The entire area – and then some – went underwater during Harvey.
  • The entrance to the property near Northpark Drive and Sorters-McClellan Road sits in a bowl that rescue trucks could not get through during Harvey. That would make evacuation difficult in the event of another large flood.
  • Wetlands dot the property.
  • Abandoned sand mines may pose safety threats.

The same developer just completed a sister development called Northpark Woods across a drainage channel from this one. But so far, the gutsy developer has avoided any consequences for its risky gamble thanks in large part to a multi-year drought and interminable delays at FEMA releasing the new post-Harvey flood maps.

All Underwater During Harvey

Eyewitness accounts and damage reports indicate that Harvey floodwaters stretched about a third of a mile east of Sorters-McClellan to Northpark and Kingwood Place Drive. That’s on the high side of Sorters-McClellan; the new development will be on the low side.

Floodwaters in this area stopped at about 83 feet above sea level. However, the entrance to the new subdivision is at 75 feet, according to the USGS National Map. That means the water was an estimated 8 feet deep at the entrance.

One long-time resident in the area said, “The intersection of Sorters and Northpark sits in a bowl. It was not passable by Montgomery County Precinct 4 constables in an Army deuce and a half [used for high-water rescue]. Water from the river came right up past that intersection and continued up Northpark to just past the intersection of Kingwood Place Dr.”

Also on the high side of Sorters-McClellan, six of nine buildings at nearby Kingwood College flooded during Harvey. Restoration cost: $60 million!

And then there’s Tammy Gunnels‘ former home a quarter mile south of the new development. It flooded 13 times in 11 years and had to be bought out by Montgomery County and FEMA.

Documents obtained from the Houston Planning Commission indicate that RG Miller is the engineer of record for Northpark South.

Bordering River and Sand Mines

During Harvey, 160,000 cubic feet per second rampaged down the West Fork behind this property.

Looking west past Sorters-McClellan Road toward what will become Northpark South. Note clearing starting in the middle in what used to be wetlands (see below).
From the National Wetlands Inventory. Dark green area on right corresponds to cleared area above.
Looking NW. Intersection of Northpark and Sorters-McClellan in lower left. Another subdivision called Northpark Woods by the same developer is in the upper right. West Fork San Jacinto and sand mines at top of frame.

Here’s what they hope to build on this property.

General plan submitted to Houston Planning Commission in 2021.

Current Floodplains Will Soon Expand

Most of the property already sits in floodway or floodplains. But the FEMA map below has not yet been updated to reflect new knowledge gained as a result of Memorial Day, Tax Day, Harvey and Imelda floods.

In fact, the 2014 date on the map below is misleading. It reflects an update of the base map, but the data that determines the extent of floodplains has not been updated since the 1980s, according to an expert familiar with Montgomery County flood maps.

From FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer Viewer.

FEMA and Harris County Flood Control have warned people that when new “post-Harvey” flood maps are released in the next year or two, floodplains will expand 50-100%. The floodway (striped area above) will likely expand into the 100-year floodplain (aqua). In turn, the 100-year will expand into the 500-year (tan). And the 500-year floodplain will extend past any of the colored areas.

That’s consistent with eyewitness accounts. And that could potentially put the entire property in floodplains.

Taking Advantage of Map-Update Window

The developer seems to be taking advantage of a window between post-Harvey flood surveys and release of the new maps.

I’m sure the developer’s lawyers would argue that they are complying with all current, applicable laws. But an ethical question arises. Will the new development expose unsuspecting homebuyers to greater-than-expected risk?

If so, why aren’t officials pushing to update maps and floodplain regs faster?

Could some officials be prioritizing economic development now over public safety later?

Certainly not all are. But many flood professionals worry about that.

Next to 5-Square Miles of Sand Mines

The new development sits next to the largest sand-mining complex on the San Jacinto West Fork. Sand mines in this area occupy almost five square miles. However, not all the mines are active. But they still show signs of heavy sediment pollution.

Looking E toward Sorters-McClellan from over West Fork. Northpark South is at top of frame beyond the sand pits.
The operator of this mine decided not to fish its equipment out when they abandoned the site.
More colors than Crayola. No telling what’s growing in these ponds.

Will routing drainage from Northpark South through these sand mines pose a safety risk for people downstream?

Will it be safe for kids to play or fish near these steep-sided pits?

Floodplain Development Called New Form of Redlining

This is an example of why the population of Texas floodplains is greater than the populations of 30 entire states. Yep. Thirty entire states have populations smaller than that of Texas floodplains.

One former floodplain administrator, who requested to remain anonymous, characterized these types of developments as a new form of redlining.

More than a few floodplain and wetland developers target minorities who may not fully understand the flood risk.

Owner financing often accompanies floodplain developments. Such financing can bypass many flood-risk detection procedures that accompany traditional bank financing.

Then, when floods come, the people who can least afford to repair homes suffer the most and longest. Neighborhoods decay faster. And that makes it harder for people to recover their investments.

Years later, the public is left holding the bag. We are asked to fund expensive flood-mitigation projects that would not be necessary had the developer built in a safer area.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/11/2023

2265 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.

City Council Approves Northpark Expansion Agreement with Union Pacific

Last Wednesday, 11/1/23, Houston City Council approved an agreement with the Union Pacific railroad that will give contractors the right of entry so that private utilities can continue to relocate their facilities. Utility work must be completed before construction of two at-grade crossings over the UP tracks at Loop 494. Now that City Council has approved the agreement, the Mayor and UP need to approve it. That will likely happen before next week.

The at-grade crossings are a separate issue from the bridge that will be built over UP’s tracks. TxDoT requires ground-level turn lanes for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians who want to turn onto and off of 494 from Northpark and vice versa.

Utility Work Already Making Way for Extra Turn Lanes

Contractors have already started rerouting utilities for the extra turn lanes on both sides of Northpark.

Looking N across Northpark along UP tracks. Note utility work on right on each side of Northpark.
Looking SE from over railroad tracks. Closer shot of utility work.
Looking E from over tracks down Northpark shows current extent of utility work.

Change in Plans: 3-Day Road Closure

The at-grade crossings will require new traffic control gates and signals. Given the longer trains that UP is running these days, UP wants to coordinate the Northpark signals with those at crossings from Kingwood Drive all the way north into Porter. But the new one-piece system will stretch cross both east and westbound lanes of Northpark.

That will require shutting the entire road down for three-days at some point in the future. This represents a change in plans. Earlier, LHRA/Tirz 10 indicated that Northpark would also have at least one lane of traffic open in each direction.

However, the new system should improve safety for both the railroad and the public.

Sidewalk Extension West of 59

De Leon indicated that the signing of the agreement with the railroad should accelerate construction in this area.

Farther west, sidewalk construction has started on both sides of Northpark immediately west of US59.

Looking West from over 59. North sidewalk almost complete. South sidewalk is being prepped.
Closer shot of south sidewalk.

Next Up

In the meantime, contractors are:

  • Continuing work on the 6×5 RCB at Outfall B
  • Continuing work on the 8″ waterline south of Northpark from the Railroad tracks east to King’s Mill
  • Continuing work on the sidewalks west of I-69

In other developments, the Redevelopment Authority website shows:

  • 12″ waterline testing has been pushed to the last week of November
  • 8″ waterline will be tested the week before Thanksgiving
  • Work will begin on the temporary detours on LP 494 the week before Thanksgiving.

Excavation of Detention Basins at Northpark Not Yet Started

Excavation of two stormwater retention basins at Northpark has not yet begun. Contractors will not start excavation until they start to build the new lanes between 494 and Russell-Palmer Road. They will use the recycled dirt to fill in under the two new lanes. If they started excavation now, they would have to store the dirt somewhere and move it twice, or pay to have it hauled off and then purchase more dirt when it’s needed.

Dirt from stormwater retention basin excavation at entry will fill in over concrete culverts in the median east of 494 (top center).

For More Information

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

LHRA/Tirz 10 Board Meeting

The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority (Authority), and Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number Ten, Lake Houston Zone (Zone), will hold a joint board meeting on  November 9, 2023, at 8:00 a.m., at the Kingwood Community Center, 4102 Rustic Woods Drive, Kingwood, Texas 77345, and is open to the public.

This board packet contains three change orders. One calls for a temporary stoplight at Russell-Palmer. The reason: contractors must remove the existing pole in the center so that they can continue installing culvert. The temporary light will serve the intersection until a new permanent one on an arm which extends over the roadway can be fabricated. Those reportedly take months.

Another change order increases the amount allocated for tree transplantation by $239,000.

Have questions or concerns? Voice them at the meeting.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/5/2023

2259 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Northpark Entry Plan Balances Flood Mitigation, Saving Trees, Cost

Social media has been abuzz this week about the Northpark Drive entry to Kingwood. As contractors removed trees from the north side of the road to make room for a detention pond, many people complained.

But it’s important to remember why we’re improving Northpark: to accommodate increased traffic and to create a reliable, all-weather evacuation route. In that regard, the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority (LHRA) must balance three conflicting needs: flood mitigation, saving trees and cost. Let’s look at how each relates to the objectives.

Reliable, All-Weather Evacuation Route

During Harvey, Hamblen Road, Kingwood Drive and Northpark were all blocked by rising floodwaters. That forced many people to try to snake out of Kingwood through Porter…if they could get there. Many couldn’t.

For decades, we’ve also worried about the possibility of a train disaster that could block off Kingwood’s exits. The longer trains that Union Pacific runs now can block multiple exits simultaneously. The longest trains stretch for more than three miles. And if there were a derailment or toxic spill, it would be difficult getting people to safety.

Raising the elevation of Northpark between Bens Branch and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch eliminates the first problem. And building the bridge over the tracks at 494 eliminates the second.

Finally, widening the road will enable more vehicles to evacuate faster.

Flood-Mitigation Enhancements

All that extra concrete to expand the road, however, reduces rainwater infiltration and increases runoff. To keep the road from flooding, engineers calculated they needed 22 acre feet of stormwater detention capacity near US59.

The solution: build two permanent ponds, one each on the north and south sides of 59 where the groves of trees were. TxDoT already owned the land. So it was available at no cost.

Looking N toward Kroger Center. Clearing for N pond completed. Clearing for S pond (bottom right) begins next week.

Water will permanently fill the ponds, just like those at Kingwood Drive. The difference between the normal water surface elevation and the lip of the ponds will equal 22 acre feet. The size of the ponds will keep that gap at an aesthetically pleasing level.

Looking S. Note the protective fencing around the remaining trees. Additional trees may be stored temporarily in the foreground.

Said another way, the ponds will look like decorative enhancements but serve a vital purpose that few realize.

The outline you see in the photo below will match the perimeter of the pond.

No more trees will be cut for this pond. The area cleared represents the final outline of the pond.

The layout below shows how the ponds should look when completed.

For a more legible, high-res version, click here.

Saving Trees

According to Ralph De Leon, project manager, “Enough trees will remain to form a pleasing backdrop for the pond, screen the visually noisy area behind them, and create a good first impression for visitors.”

From 30 feet, you can barely see the shopping center behind the trees. From ground level, it will be completely screened.

It’s important to remember that when KSA revised the Kingwood entries after TxDoT widened 59, many people wanted ponds at Northpark. They complained that KSA was neglecting Northpark compared to Kingwood Drive.

Many trees are being transplanted. But that’s an expensive proposition; the trees have grown since LHRA first prepared estimates two years ago.

“We’ve already identified the trees that will be saved,” De Leon continued. “Some will move to their permanent location immediately. Others will be stored temporarily at staging locations until the road construction gets further along. Then they’ll be moved to their permanent positions.”

The landscape architects, contractor, and LHRA are evaluating each tree individually. Their objective is to save as many as possible. But dollars pose a constraint.

Cost Limitations

De Leon also says “The cost to move each tree is roughly $11,000. We can’t afford to move the truly huge trees. They cost up to $100,000 per tree. And we just don’t have a budget for those.”

Machines like these will move trees that range from 4″ to 17″ in diameter. Photo courtesy of Davey Tree Company.

To maximize aesthetics, the Redevelopment Authority will relocate a mix of trees, such as oaks and pines.

The trees that will move have already been inventoried and tagged.

Update on Water-Line and Utility Conflicts

In my last Northpark post, I pointed out two conflicts holding up construction of the median farther east – one with a water line to a new church near Russell-Palmer Road and a second with CenterPoint.

The City of Houston has agreed to let the Redevelopment Authority’s contractor design a workaround for the water line that interfered with the placement of box culverts. Contractors left a gap big enough for two sections of culvert and a coffer dam to keep dirt from collapsing into the hole.

Because the culvert is tongue-in-groove, contractors also left enough room for a collar. That will allow the two new sections to slide into place. It will also prevent leaks in any gap that remains.

Regarding the CenterPoint gas line running down the center of the ditch at different depths, CenterPoint decided to move the whole line out of the culvert to the south side of the road. Inbound drivers may notice long lengths of welded blue pipe stacked up between Russell-Palmer and Kings Mill. That’s what that is for.

Next Steps

Contractors will start removing trees for the south entry pond at 59 during the week of 9/24/23. Here is the latest revised schedule. Check back often for more updates as they happen.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/23/23

2216 Days since Hurricane Harvey

New Design for Northpark Entry, Construction Schedule Update

Harper Brothers Construction has encountered another unexpected problem in the Northpark Drive expansion project. While attempting to place 5’x7′ culvert in the median, it uncovered a water line much closer to the surface than it should have been. While developing a solution with the City of Houston, crews will continue to focus on other areas of the project so as not to create excessive delays.

Those areas include:

  • A new water main near 494 and the UP railroad tracks
  • Clearing land for the new Northpark entry to Kingwood at 59.

For background detail and photos, see below.

Pics of Water-Line Conflict

This week, Harper Brothers discovered a water main where it should not have been. The contractor proposed water-line workarounds to the City, but the City has not yet agreed to a solution. The issue has to do with a water main running under Northpark to the new Parkwood Baptist Church east of Russell-Palmer. See the pictures below, courtesy of the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority (LHRA).

Surprise water line under Northpark
Workers discover a surprise. Water line under Northpark not where it was supposed to be.
Surprise water line under Northpark
Water line should have been buried several feet deeper.
Surprise water line under Northpark
One workaround could require burying a parallel line deep enough to allow placement of culvert over the top of it.

Harper Brothers Construction suggested another workaround – splicing in a U-shaped pipe that would leave enough room for the culvert it is burying in the median.

But until the City and LHRA agree on a solution Harper Brothers may have to skip past the obstruction and then go back at a later date to fill in the gap.

Second New Water Main Farther West

In the meantime, crews have already started prepping for placement of another water line that parallels Northpark closer to Loop 494. See picture below near Public Storage.

Looking SE. Note area being cleared in foreground for new water main and feeder roads next to bridge.

While Northpark will expand inward for most of its length, the feeder road next to the new bridge over 494 and the railroad tracks will expand outward. And because the City doesn’t like to run water mains under a roadway, contractors must also relocate this water main. It’s a much bigger job because it feeds numerous businesses, not just one church.

LHRA actually had to purchase additional land for this portion of the project – enough to accommodate a two-lane feeder road on each side of the bridge.

In the photo above, you can see Harper Brothers prepping land for the new water main and feeder lanes.

Plans for New Entry

The contractor will also soon start clearing the triangular area on the north side of Northpark at 59. Note construction materials stockpiled in the foreground of the photo below. Most, but not all of this area, will become a decorative pond that’s actually a stormwater detention basin in disguise. The pond will hold approximately 11 acre feet of stormwater in the space between the top of the permanent water level and ground level.

A second pond on the south side of Northpark will provide a similar amount of stormwater storage to compensate for the increase in impervious cover caused by road widening.

But not all the trees will go away. TxDoT requires that any trees removed must be replaced with trees of an identical diameter.

Site of first detention pond. Pond will be framed by trees that remain between Northpark and shopping center on right.
Some trees will be relocated to the open area currently behind the grove.

Other trees will be relocated nearby, for instance, around the south pond which is more sparsely populated with trees.

South pond will have more room for transplanted trees around it.

In addition, the ponds when complete will have sidewalks and landscaping around them. TxDoT, LHRA and the Kingwood Service Association worked collaboratively on the designs for two years. A well will serve the area and feed an irrigation system to help ensure new plantings survive and thrive.

Here’s what the finished ponds and landscaping should look like.

North pond (the first) shown on the left.

For the full entry landscaping plans, click here.

To see a video rendering of the ponds, click here and then click on the video in the lower right.

Clearing was to have begun on Tuesday morning after Labor Day. However, that may be delayed now. Late on Friday afternoon several logistical issues involved with relocating the trees became apparent.

CenterPoint Promises to Stake Out Problems Week of 9/3/23

Last week, we talked about 11 conflicts with CenterPoint along the Northpark Drive expansion project. CenterPoint has promised LHRA that it will send crews to “stake out” the problems next week. That is the first step in resolving conflicts.

Some of the CenterPoint conflicts that have culvert placement stalled.

It’s always something in construction! Stay tuned for next week’s exciting episode of “As Northpark Expands.”

For a look ahead at the next three weeks of construction activity, click here.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/2/23

2195 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 10 days before the peak of hurricane season