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Westheimer Construction
US 59 Feeder Construction
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Upper Kirby Update 

July 4, 2014   

Upper Kirby Construction
Short Break for the 4th of July
Final Tie -Ins Begin Next Week  

 

Westheimer    

Paving, Drainage and  Streetscape Improvements  Project: 

 

Additional crews were available this week to begin final phases of work on utility duct bank installation on Westheimer between Kirby and Buffalo Speedway.

 

 

Trenching for Center Point electric duct banks continued along the southern curb-side lane this week alongside parallel boring for telecommunications duct work behind the curb between Bammel and Lake. Additional crews were available to begin lateral work on Bellmeade north of Westheimer. This work necessitated that access be limited from Westheimer, however, underground work is complete and pavement was placed late this week. This area should open up completely on Monday.

Work on Virginia south of Westheimer also began this week and will continue through next week. Motorists should expect this area to remain accessible to north and southbound traffic with the use of flagmen during construction activity.

No work will take place between today and Sunday in observance of the July 4th holiday. Crews will pick up on Monday with continued efforts on Westheimer between Bammel and Lake and on Virginia and will begin final tie-ins on either side of the Buffalo Speedway intersection. Traffic control for this work should be placed early next week and will impact both eastbound and westbound curbside lanes. Motorists in both directions should expect to be narrowed down to the middle lane to traverse the intersection. No lanes will be closed on Buffalo Speedway.

 

As was the case east of Kirby, construction is being undertaken in 1000-foot segments. Work on this stretch will impact the two eastbound lanes on the south side of Westheimer. Traffic will be shifted to one lane in either direction through the construction zone. Each 1000-foot segment is expected to take four to five weeks to complete. Once a given segment is completed, it will be restored with asphalt and opened prior to the next segment beginning.

The contract duration on this project is 120 days putting completion somewhere around July 2014. Weather permitting, roadway construction between Kirby and Shepherd should be able to begin immediately following utility completion west of Kirby.

 

CenterPoint and the telecommunications companies will follow behind duct bank construction reconnecting services underground. The duration of this reconnection work will be up to the utility providers though 45 to 90 days is typical. Traffic impact during this work is negligible.  

 

Once the utilities have been removed and the lines brought underground west of Kirby, Upper Kirby will move forward with drainage and underground infrastructure improvements followed by complete repaving of the roadway. The project will also entail the installation of a pedestrian-oriented streetscape similar to the treatment provided on the recent Kirby Drive and Buffalo Speedway projects. This work will first be completed between Shepherd and Kirby followed by an identical scope of work between Kirby and Buffalo Speedway.  

 

Roadway reconstruction is anticipated to last approximately 10 months. Drainage improvement and roadway reconstruction between Kirby and Buffalo will immediately follow and will have a similar approximate duration. 

 

For more information on Upper Kirby construction and related activities or for construction related issues or concerns, please contact Travis Younkin at 713.524.8000 or [email protected].   

TxDOT Construction
Kirby On-ramps to Close Both Directions Next Week    

   

US 59 Frontage Road Reconstruction

The TxDOT reconstruction of the frontage lanes, uturns and intersection underpasses between 610 and Shepherd will pause for the 4th of July weekend and resume efforts Monday.

The inside lane outbound between Shepherd and Greenbriar has been closed for the past week or so shifting all traffic onto one lane curbside west of Shepherd. Crews have been able to complete the lead-up to the on-ramp and have opened access to the freeway here. While this area has had a real impact on both frontage road traffic as well as north/south traffic on Shepherd at times, it is expected that the opening of the on-ramp will improve the condition significantly. Unless proceeding to a destination within the work zone, it is still advised that motorists consider Richmond or Alabama as alternates between Kirby and Shepherd if possible.

   

Exits at Kirby inbound and Buffalo Speedway outbound are now open. With the opening of the outbound Greenbriar on-ramp, crews are now ready to begin on-ramp construction between Kirby and Buffalo Speedway in both directions. Inbound motorists exiting Kirby should consider that the work leading up to the on-ramp will necessitate narrowing traffic down to one lane between Wakeforest and Kirby. Those with destinations on this stretch of frontage road and those with destinations on Kirby south of US 59 should consider exiting early and using Westpark or Bissonnet to access their destinations. Those with destinations on Kirby north of US 59 should consider exiting early and using Richmond or Alabama to negotiate around the construction area.

 

 

Following main lane and u-turn lane reconstruction, crews will begin intersection work. The current plan includes reconstructing two non-consecutive intersections at a time. The first two to be impacted will be Weslayan and Greenbriar. This work will likely not begin until late July.

   

Look for weekly updates as this project progresses.   

 

For a regularly updated list of lane closures and on and off-ramp closures, visit Houston Transtar here.    

METRO Re-imagining Seeks Public Input

         

 

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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Upper Kirby is a constantly evolving urban area marked by an outstanding location, great shopping, unique residential neighborhoods, smart development and a small town feel. It is an area of successful businesses, involved communities and a synergy between the public and private sectors. It is the heartbeat of Houston and everywhere you want to be.