Lake Houston - Humble - Kingwood Edition | January 2022

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OVERPASS IMPENDING

received a four-day total of around 30 inches of rain during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which aected several neighborhoods near Northpark. De Leon said ood mitigation was at the forefront of the design process, noting roughly $10.8 million of the overpass project’s budgetwill be spent on ood remediation infrastructure. “The roadway is being designed to meet the Atlas 14 100-year ood event requirements,” he said. “Upon com- pletion, planned stormwater system improvements will not just result in no impact to existing conditions, but [they will] also result in an improve- ment to existing conditions.” According to LHRA planning doc- uments, the existing drainage ditch along Northpark will be replaced with a storm sewer system that will be adjusted throughout construction until an optimal solution is reached. Additionally, landscaped detention ponds will be constructed on both sides of Northpark near Hwy. 59. De Leon also noted the planned overpass over the Union Paci§c Corp. railroad and Loop 494 will provide an additional evacuation route in the case of another ooding event. During the February 2020 LHRA public meeting, several residents also expressed concern about acces- sibility to local businesses during construction. Eric Johnson—owner of Euro Glo & Fit Spa on Northpark Drive—said in a January interview that he feared the overpass would restrict access to businesses located near Northpark and Loop 494. “Everybody there—the McDonalds, the Chick-§l-A, the Sonic, the Kroger— [is] going to lose money because people are going to be driving right by them on the overpass,” Johnson said. “They’re going to hurt the little guy. They’re trying to make the trac ow, but they’re not thinking about the businesses. … We’re the ones that pay taxes around here.” According to planning documents, the project will also include the con- struction of an access road on each side of the overpass to maintain access to nearby businesses. FM 1960project In Humble and Atascocita, the FM 1960 road widening and overpass projects are aimed at easing conges- tion in the area, TxDOT Public infor- mation Ocer Danny Perez said.

A pair of projects that will expand Northpark Drive in Kingwood from four to six lanes and install an overpass over the Union Pacic Corp. railroad and Loop 494 is in the works with construction of one of the projects set to kick o in 2022.

Overpass

494

UNION PACIFIC CORP. RAILROAD

Hwy. 59 to Russell Palmer Road and overpass

Russell Palmer Road to Woodland Hills Drive B

A Cost: $55 million

Timeline: Feb. 2022-Dec. 2024

Cost: $48.4 million

Timeline: Estimated 2023-25

Funding sources: Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 10, city of Houston

SOURCES: TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE NO. 10, LAKE HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, CITY OF HOUSTONCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

associated with right of way acquisi- tions have caused delays. Additionally, the design phase has begun for the eastern section of the roadway—the Northpark Drive reconstruction project. That $48.4 million eort will expand the road from four to six lanes between Russell Palmer Road and Woodland Hills Drive and is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2023. At a March 11 LHRA board of direc- tors meeting, LHRA board Chair Stan Sarman stressed the importance of the reconstruction project. “I want to reiterate to our consul- tants ... the critical nature of North- park Drive being passable during extreme events,” he said. “We have to make sure that this works.” During a February 2020 LHRA public meeting, more than a dozen local residents submitted comments expressing concerns about the poten- tial for additional ooding resulting from the Northpark overpass project. According to the Harris County Flood Control District, the Kingwood area

to local businesses and the poten- tial for increased ooding due to construction. Northpark Drive project The Northpark Drive project—which is being spearheaded by the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority, Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 10 and the city of Houston—aims to decrease trac congestion, address stormwater drainage and enhance pedestrian safety in the area, LHRA ocials said. The city of Houston is contributing roughly $9.5 million to the project with the TIRZ covering the remainder of the cost. According to the Texas A&M Trans- portation Institute’s 2021 Most Con- gested Roadways in Texas report, Northpark Drive from Sorters McClel- lan Road to Mills Branch Drive ranked as the 82nd most congested roadway in the state. The LHRA and TIRZ 10 administra- tor Ralph De Leon said construction on the project was originally slated to begin last summer, but challenges

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In Humble and Atascocita, a pair of projects headed by the Texas Depart- ment of Transportation will expand FM 1960 between Business FM 1960 to east of Twigsworth Lane and from Twigsworth Lane to just west of the San Jacinto River Bridge. The latter project will also add an overpass at West Lake Houston Parkway. The projects—which will cost $58.2 million and $70 million, respec- tively—will expand the road segments from four lanes with two-way center turn lanes to six lanes divided by grass medians with sidewalks. Both projects are scheduled to begin once utility adjustments and other right of way preparations are complete. They are expected to wrap up by April 2025. Lance LaCour, president and CEO of Partnership Lake Houston, said he believes mobility projects such as these can have positive eects on local businesses once completed. “Major mobility projects like these may alleviate trac congestion, which can improve quality of life for residents,” LaCour said. “In some cases, these types of projects can pro- vide new or better access to commer- cial properties, which may enhance their value and open new opportuni- ties for development. This may help expand the tax base.” While the projects in Kingwood, Humble and Atascocicta are being implemented to improve mobil- ity and safety, some residents have expressed concern about access

“IN SOME CASES, THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS CANPROVIDE NEWOR BETTERACCESS TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, WHICHMAY ENHANCE THEIRVALUE AND OPENNEWOPPORTUNITIES FORDEVELOPMENT. THISMAY HELP EXPAND THE TAXBASE.” LANCE LACOUR, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF PARTNERSHIP LAKE HOUSTON

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