Upper Kirby Streetscape Initiatives

Before

Construction to begin this fall.

Look for weekly updates soon.

  October 31, 2014  

TxDOT Construction - US 59

TxDOT's US 59 frontage road reconstruction between Shepherd and 610 continued this week with intersection work at Greenbriar, Shepherd and Buffalo Speedway.

The Buffalo Speedway intersection construction is currently being reconstructed under US 59 necessitating the closure of Buffalo Speedway through the intersection.  TxDOT has given the contractor full access to all through lanes allowing them to expedite the reconstruction at the expense of detouring all Buffalo Speedway traffic along the frontage road to the next available u-turn. The contractor has been given 30 days to complete this work though TxDOT has offered an early completion incentive for up to seven days. Motorists should consider Weslayan, Edloe, Westpark, and Richmond as alternate routes to negotiate around the Buffalo/59 intersection during peak hours.

The Shepherd intersection and underpass pavement reconstruction is a bit further along. Main lanes under the freeway on Shepherd are complete and quadrant work is underway. This work is expected to be completed mid week next week with the Greenbriar/Shepherd exit inbound being ready to reopen to traffic around the same time.

Work at Greenbriar is also ongoing though completion here will lag slightly behind. Motorists should expect one lane through these intersections while the quadrants are being reconstructed.

Bissonnet Utility Relocation

Existing Pedestrian Realm on Bissonnet

Bissonnet Utility Relocation from Kirby to Buffalo continued this week with efforts toward the construction of parallel ducts along the north side of Bissonnet, one for telecommunications and one for Center Point electrical service. 

Crews have successfully completed installation of both electrical and telecommunications duct banks from just east of Wakeforest to Kirby Drive leaving only the Kirby intersection prior to being able to shift traffic control to the west.

During exploratory work required in preparation for the trench work along the curbside lane of Kirby Drive southbound, crews discovered an unmarked waterline. This line will need to be relocated in order to proceed with the final run of duct that will bring the new underground utilities south along Kirby approximately 100-feet to where they can switch back to overhead service.
Last week it was thought that this work would not begin for several weeks, however, being that the contractor now needs to address the unmarked waterline, crews will begin work here mid-week next week.

The southbound, curbside lane along Kirby will be obstructed for approximately two weeks off and on to complete the unexpected water line relocation as well as the duct installation. TxDOT has indicated that their work on Shepherd a will be complete at this time so motorists should consider Shepherd  as a southbound alternative in addition to Edloe and Weslayan in order to avoid the short pinch point on Kirby.

The contractor has also indicated that he will be ready to begin utility duct installation through the north side of the Wakeforest intersection next week ahead of schedule. When this work begins here Monday morning, Wakeforest will be closed onto and off of Bissonnet from the south. Northbound movements on Wakeforest will be maintained.

The ducts installed during this phase of work will eventually house the overhead

Utility Work - Bissonnet at Kirby

lines currently running down Bissonnet. Once Center Point Energy and the telecommunications providers have switched service from overhead to underground and removed the wires and wooden poles, Upper Kirby will begin water, sanitary and storm improvements and roadway reconstruction. Like Kirby, Buffalo Speedway and Westheimer, this project will include a complete pedestrian-oriented streetscape and landscaping plan implemented and maintained in perpetuity by the Upper Kirby Management District. The roadway is not being widened and the existing esplanade is being maintained.

The utility phase of this project was bid in August and was awarded to Harper Brothers Construction. It is anticipated that, weather permitting, this work will take four to five months to complete. Like was the case on Westheimer, once underground facilities are in place they will be turned over to the utility companies to transfer overhead service to underground. The roadway reconstruction can begin once the utility companies have completed their work (typically around three months from completion of the duct installation). Once roadway work has begun, it will take 10 to 12 months to complete the project.

Look for further updates as the schedule progresses.

Concrete Framing at Dickey Place

The Upper Kirby District is coordinating this work with the City of Houston drainage and pavement reconstruction on Shepherd between Westheimer and Buffalo Bayou. The City is currently working north of the Shepherd/Westheimer intersection, however, the contractor has erected traffic control through the full length of the project from Westheimer to Buffalo Bayou. Reytec hopes to begin work at the Shepherd/Westheimer intersection in January, however, their ability to do so will henge on the City contractor being done in the intersection and shifting their traffic control north.

City contractors will be working 24 hours a day, seven days a week on this section. They will install drainage improvements, water and sanitary as needed moving south from Avalon to Westheimer and East along Westheimer for about two blocks. Work has also already begun on the northern end of the project, however, no work to date has been completed in the Westheimer/Shepherd intersection. Motorists should expect to be down to one lane in either direction to pass through the construction area. The City has committed to clear the intersection as quickly as possible and restore traffic along Westheimer, though work here has not yet commenced.

While the City is working in the intersection, Upper Kirby will remain clear of Westheimer and will focus on the primary outfall point for storm water along this section at Dickey Place. Should a situation occur where The City has not vacated their work along Westheimer, Reytec may look to begin at the other storm sewer outfall point at Dickey and Westheimer and work west toward Kirby in an effort to maintain the construction schedule. Look for further updates as these two projects progress.

Once work on Dickey is complete, crews will demobilize for the time between Thanksgiving and January 2 in hopes that the City has also completed work through the Shepherd/Westheimer intersection and has opened Westheimer to unobstructed traffic flow for the holidays. City work will continue over the holidays north of the intersection but will observe Thanksgiving and the day after, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.