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Upper Kirby Update 

December 14, 2012  

Richmond Drainage Improvements:  
Home Stretch to the Holidays

Richmond

Construction 

Crews were able to make great strides this week on the Richmond Drainage Improvements Project. As a result, traffic has been restored to the correct respective side of the median (all eastbound traffic is back on the south side of the roadway and all westbound traffic is back on the north side of the roadway) and all median openings except for Lake St. are now open.  

 

All storm inlet lead work crossing Richmond from north to south at Lake, Virginia and Buffalo Speedway is now complete. Similar inlet work on the south side of Richmond about 200 feet east of Buffalo Speedway also began this week and is expected to be completed later today.  

 

Work also began this week restoring the north side of the Richmond/Eastside and Richmond/Virginia intersections. Crews poured half of these intersections this week and will complete the other halves next week. Eastside south of Richmond is still awaiting City chlorination reports before final water connections can be made and the pavement restored. This work will likely take place shortly after the holiday break.  

 

Aside from pavement work, primary activity next week will focus on the Audley intersection south of Richmond. Later today crews aim to begin work on final sanitary and storm improvements at this location. Storm inlet lead installation is complete crossing Richmond from the north, however, new inlets on both sides of Audley still need to be installed and connected to the lead via a new manhole that will also be placed this week.

 

Sanitary rehab  work of an existing line will also begin at the southwest corner of Audley and Richmond and will extend all the way to the southeast corner of the Richmond/Eastside intersection. The hope is to have all of the above work at Audley completed next week and the area temporarily restored. Final restoration here will likely take place after the holidays.

 

Work will also likely begin next week at the Lake Street median opening. Workers plan to break out the pavement here later today and restore the area next week.

 

For more information on Upper Kirby construction projects and for issues and concerns as construction progresses, contact Travis Younkin at 713.524.8000 or email [email protected].  

 

Westheimer Drainage Improvements and Streetscape Installation 

 

Design is now nearly complete on the Westheimer Paving, Drainage and Streetscape Improvements Project between Shepherd and Buffalo Speedway. This is the final piece of storm drainage work needed to complete the Kirby system.

Work on Westheimer will follow the scope of the Kirby Drive reconstruction project fairly closely. It will entail the burial of all overhead utility lines; new storm drainage, water and sanitary facilities; complete roadway repaving and the installation of a full pedestrian-oriented streetscape that will include pedestrian lighting and furniture, street tree installation and irrigation, brick paved crosswalks, widened sidewalks and upgraded traffic signal and streetlight standards.

The project will be implemented in two sections, the eastern phase will extend from Shepherd to Kirby Drive and the western phase will continue from Kirby to Buffalo Speedway. Each of these phases will be split into a utility relocation phase followed by a roadway, infrastructure and streetscape phase.

The project will likely begin at Shepherd where the contractor will be responsible for constructing the underground duct-banks that will house the existing overhead wires in the future. The contractor will then asphalt over the work area, re-stripe the roadway and remove all traffic control and equipment.

We will close out the contract at this point to avoid disruption to the traveling public and to the local businesses and property owners while we wait for Center Point and all telecommunication companies to transfer services to the new underground facilities and remove the wooden utility poles. Because the length of this process is uncertain, we have planned the project to pause and restore the roadway completely while the utility companies are completing their work. Once the terminal poles have been removed by Center Point, we will bid the roadway phase of the project and begin the reconstruction.

The first utility phase, originally planned to bid in December will wait to bid until after the first of the year. Construction will most likely begin in February. Please look for further detail on the timing and implementation of this project as plans are finalized.  

If you have a new business, development or community event that you would like included in the monthly Upper Kirby news, please contact us at 713.524.8000 or submit to [email protected]
 
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