Upper Kirby Update 

March 1, 2013  

Westheimer Bridge Closure- Alternate Routes

From the Harris County Flood Control District:

Due to construction delays, the Harris County Flood Control  

District has postponed the March 3 closure of two lanes of the Westheimer Road Bridge located just east of Mid Lane inside  West Loop 610 in the Galleria area. The lane closure is now scheduled to start on March 10 and traffic will be limited to one lane in each direction for up to a month while the 50-year-old bridge is demolished and replaced. This schedule is subject to change due to construction or weather issues.

The Westheimer bridge replacement project is part of the Flood Control District's $13.2 million W129-00-00 Channel Enclosure Project, which is rebuilding and enclosing the poorly functioning drainage channel formally identified as HCFCD Unit W129-00-00. The work spans W129-00-00 from San Felipe to Richmond and includes enclosing the drainage channel with dual 12-foot by 10-foot reinforced concrete box culverts and replacing the bridges at Westheimer and San Felipe. The City of Houston is contributing funds to the bridge projects.

If their ultimate destination is not in the area, motorists are encouraged to avoid the area while the bridge is under  

construction or to use an alternate route. Possible alternate  

routes include West Loop 610, Memorial Drive, San Felipe  

Street, Richmond Avenue or Kirby Drive. Signs announcing the lane closure dates have been installed in the area. Motorists are encouraged to be alert, to pay attention to all posted street and lane closures and to take an alternate route.

For more information about the project, visit the W129-00-00 Channel Enclosure Project webpage at  www.hcfcd.org/W129.

If you have questions or comments, please call the Flood Control District's Project and Study Information Line, which is monitored daily, at 713-684-4040. 

Richmond  

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 likely until late March. The design has met with some delay in the city review and comment phase but should be signed and ready to advertise by the end of the month. Please look for further detail on the timing and implementation of this project as plans are finalized.  

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 travis@upperkirby.org.