August - September 2009 Update
District Updates
Kirby Drive: The Month Ahead
The Upper Kirby District Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number 19 (TIRZ 19) began work on Kirby Drive between Richmond and Westheimer in July of 2008 implementing the much needed drainage and mobility improvements identified following Tropical Storm Allison. In partnership with the City of Houston and Harris County Improvement District Number 3 (HCID 3), this project seeks to alleviate area flooding and traffic congestion issues while implementing a complete streetscape and landscaping plan that will include the burial of overhead utility lines, landscaping upgrades, paved crosswalks, pedestrian lighting and a number of other safety, accessibility and beautification improvements.
Due to the extreme drought over the past several months, construction has not been impeded by any rain delays and, as a result, is currently around six weeks ahead of schedule. The original completion date for the entire project area was estimated for November 2009, just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. With no significant weather delays from this point forward, substantial completion is expected in October.
Progress to Date
Up to this point the project contractor, Texas Sterling Construction, has completed the relocation of Kirby Drive’s overhead utility lines, successfully burying them under the west side of the roadway. All water and sewer upgrades have been installed and the main—72 inch—storm sewer has been installed under the west side of Kirby Drive. Side street storm sewer installation and repaving along Kipling, Revere, Alabama, Branard, Colquitt, Sackett and Elbert is complete as well and both the easternmost and westernmost lanes of Kirby Drive have been repaved.
What to Expect in the Coming Months
Contractors are currently installing the center median on Kirby Drive between Richmond and Westheimer. The center of the roadway will include a raised median that will incorporate upgraded landscaping and irrigation as well as brick pavers where space is limited. The brick paved crosswalks are also being installed in the coming month as well as traffic signal and pedestrian light installation. Side street restoration will continue to take place as well.
Due to the extreme heat and lack of rain in recent months, tree installation is being delayed as long as possible to insure that the new—200 gallon—trees are planted in a more appropriate climate. Major landscaping upgrades are anticipated to begin in September.
Just a few short months from now the construction equipment will be gone, lanes will be unobstructed and Kirby Drive will be renewed with a hardened utility grid, no overhead utilities, wider sidewalks and pedestrian furniture, enhanced lighting, new trees and landscaping and, most importantly, an adequate storm drainage system to assist in relieving the persistent flooding the area has witnessed in the past.
Please note that completion dates mentioned above are estimates and are subject to delay by weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Further updates on construction progress will be posted regularly on www.upperkirbydistrict.org. For additional questions on this, or other Upper Kirby District projects, contact Travis Younkin at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call 713.524.8000.
Upper Kirby District Updates
Kirby Drive: The Road Ahead
Texas Sterling Construction began work on Kirby Drive between Richmond and Westheimer in July implementing the much needed drainage and mobility improvements identified by the Upper Kirby District Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number 19 (TIRZ 19) and are currently on pace to complete the project in November of 2009. In partnership with the City of Houston and Harris County Improvement District Number 3 (HCID 3), this project seeks to alleviate area flooding and traffic congestion issues while implementing a complete streetscape and landscaping plan that will include the burial of overhead utility lines, landscaping upgrades, paved crosswalks, pedestrian lighting and a number of other safety, accessibility and beautification improvements.
Progress
Kirby Drive
All infrastructure work, including new water and sanitary sewer lines, on the east side of Kirby Drive is now complete. The roadway has been paved and sidewalk installation is ongoing. Construction crews have moved traffic barriers to the west side of Kirby and have opened up the east side lanes to traffic.
If you have driven Kirby between Richmond and Westheimer recently, you may have noticed that the overhead utilities have been removed and services have been connected via underground ducts. All overhead utilities are now housed under the west side of Kirby Drive leaving the Kirby storm sewer installation as the only major infrastructure work yet to be completed.
Installation of the main 72 inch storm sewer running north/south along the west side of Kirby has begun at Richmond moving north toward Westheimer and is progressing quickly. The lateral lines recently installed on Colquitt as well as the existing lines on West Main have now been connected to the new Kirby storm line and are fully functioning. Installation of the 72 inch line is expected to be complete by early June.
As storm sewer installation moves north, a paving crew will begin framing work at the intersection of Richmond and Kirby and will begin paving behind the storm crews, working their way toward Westheimer. Crews continue to work on sidewalk and streetscape installation on the east side of Kirby and will be installing pedestrian lights and street lights throughout the coming month.
Side-Street Construction
New lateral storm sewer line work necessary to fully address the flooding and drainage issues in the area has been completed on Colquitt, Branard, West Alabama and Kipling. Street overlay and repaving has been completed on these streets as well as on Sackett, Elbert, Revere and Ferndale. There is still some minor sidewalk, ramp and restoration work yet to be completed along these streets that will continue through June, but should not significantly impact traffic flow.
What to Expect Next
As work continues on Kirby Drive, motorists should expect the lane configuration to remain consistent throughout the summer months. Two lanes will continue to be maintained in each direction with left turn lanes provided at signalized intersections. Once work on the west side of Kirby has been completed and the roadway is paved, traffic barriers will shift to the center of the street and southbound lanes will run along the far west side of Kirby. The final phase of work will entail the paving of the center of the roadway and is on schedule to be completed in November 2009.
Please note that completion dates mentioned above are estimates and are subject to delay by weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Further updates on construction progress will be posted regularly on www.upperkirbydistrict.org. For additional questions on this, or other Upper Kirby District projects, contact Travis Younkin at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call 713.524.8000.
Travis Younkin is a native Houstonian and graduate of Texas A&M University in College Station. He is currently serving as the Capital Projects Coordinator for the Upper Kirby District.
District Updates
Kirby Drive: The Month Ahead
Texas Sterling Construction began work on Kirby Drive between Richmond and Westheimer in July implementing the much needed drainage and mobility improvements identified by the Upper Kirby District Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number 19 (TIRZ 19). In partnership with the City of Houston and Harris County Improvement District Number 3 (HCID 3), this project seeks to alleviate area flooding and traffic congestion issues while implementing a complete streetscape and landscaping plan that will include the burial of overhead utility lines, landscaping upgrades, paved crosswalks, pedestrian lighting and a number of other safety, accessibility and beautification improvements.
January Progress
Kirby Drive
Work on Kirby Drive in the first quarter of 2009 initially entailed the installation of a 72 inch storm sewer on the west side of the street. Further underground work on the west side of Kirby Drive, however, is dependant on CenterPoint transferring overhead lines into the utility duct banks completed by Texas Sterling in November and removing the utility poles. As this has not yet been accomplished, Texas Sterling has focused its efforts on the completion of lateral street work in January and has largely stayed off of Kirby Drive.
Coordination with CenterPoint will be key over the next three months to insure the transfer of services is as expedient as possible. Upper Kirby and Texas Sterling are currently examining work sequencing alternatives that would allow Texas Sterling to progress in other areas of the project while CenterPoint is on the west side of Kirby.
Colquitt
Lateral work on Colquitt between Kirby and Ferndale was completed in January with the majority of work being paving and driveway installation. In February, motorists should expect full access on both sides of the street.
Branard
Lateral work on Branard is now complete
Kipling
On Kipling east of Kirby, the construction area extends from Kirby to Revere and then south approximately to Cameron. In January, crews completed several storm inlet leads on Revere as well as road overlay work. There may be some restoration and finishing touches taking place in February, but work on this lateral is substantially complete. Kipling west of Kirby drive between Kirby and Ferndale is now complete.
West Alabama
Work also began in January on the West Alabama storm sewer installation. Inlet leads and new inlets on Alabama west of Kirby were completed in January, however, the majority of the work has been focused east of Kirby Drive down to Revere. Work began in January moving east from Kirby with the installation of a new storm sewer and inlets and crews have made substantial progress. Work along this stretch of Alabama is anticipated to be completed the first week of February.
What to Expect in February
Kirby Drive
Various utility providers including CenterPoint Energy and AT&T will be working to transfer services behind the traffic control already in place on the west side of Kirby. Utility crews will be moving from Richmond north toward Westheimer in February.
Impact: Traffic flow on Kirby Drive should remain in its current condition in February. Two lanes in either direction will be maintained at all times.
West Alabama
Texas Sterling will continue work on Alabama over the first part of the month.
Impact: Access will be maintained on Alabama as work progresses and temporary business driveways will remain accessible baring short periods of time when work runs immediately across those access points. Motorists can also expect full retail driveway access off of Kirby as this work is completed. West Alabama will remain accessible to one lane of traffic in either direction at all times.
Sackett
With Colquitt work now complete, the storm sewer can continue through a private easement where Texas Sterling will connect and proceed with new storm sewer installation on Sackett heading north to Elbert. Work is anticipated to begin in February at the dead end of Sackett where crews will be tunneling to connect under the private easement. They will then continue installation work north on Sackett, most likely into March.
Impact: Residential access on Sackett will be maintained throughout construction, however, on street parking will not be available while work is underway.
Please note that completion dates mentioned above are estimates and are subject to delay by weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Further updates on construction progress will be posted regularly on www.upperkirbydistrict.org. For additional questions on this, or other Upper Kirby District projects, contact Travis Younkin at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call 713.524.8000.
District Updates
Kirby Drive: The Month Ahead
Texas Sterling Construction began work on Kirby Drive between Richmond and Westheimer in July implementing the much needed drainage and mobility improvements identified by the Upper Kirby District Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number 19 (TIRZ 19) and are currently on pace to complete the project in November of 2009. In partnership with the City of Houston and Harris County Improvement District Number 3 (HCID 3), this project seeks to alleviate area flooding and traffic congestion issues while implementing a complete streetscape and landscaping plan that will include the burial of overhead utility lines, landscaping upgrades, paved crosswalks, pedestrian lighting and a number of other safety, accessibility and beautification improvements.
December Progress
Kirby Drive
Work on the Kirby Drive Drainage and Mobility Improvements Project over the holiday break was confined to the lateral storm drainage and paving work on Colquitt, Branard and Kipling. Having substantially completed the utility duct banks that will house the overhead wires prior to the Thanksgiving break, construction crews stopped work directly on Kirby to allow as much access to local retail during the holiday season as was possible. Work on side streets also stopped completely on December 20, however, great strides were made in December to close out the 2008 year.
Colquitt
Construction crews met with some delay along Colquitt between Kirby and Ferndale due to an unforeseen underground conflict between existing CenterPoint ducts and future drainage lines at the Colquitt/Virginia intersection. CenterPoint crews worked over the month of December to relocate their facilities so that the drainage project can progress unencumbered in January. Texas Sterling has completed the paving and driveway installation between Kirby and Lake as well as the majority of the paving on the south side of Colquitt between Lake and Virginia. Paving preparation has begun on the north side of Colquitt moving west from Lake and road repaving will immediately follow completion of CenterPoint work.
Branard
With the storm sewer installation complete on Branard, crews were able to pour the new roadway in December and should be out of that lateral project area shortly after the first of the year.
Kipling
On Kipling east of Kirby, the construction area extends from Kirby to Revere and then south approximately to Cameron. In December, crews placed concrete on the west side of road at the intersections of Kipling and Revere and Rosamond and Revere and on the west through lane from Kipling to Cameron. There will still be some work along this stretch of Revere in January. Work began just prior to the Thanksgiving holiday on Kipling west of Kirby Drive. Storm work along this lateral line will run from Kirby west to Ferndale and then north to about the mid-block point between Kipling and Westheimer. Construction began around mid-block between Kirby and Virginia and was substantially completed in December.
What to Expect in January
Kirby Drive
On January 5, construction will begin again in full swing on Kirby Drive. At that point, work on Kirby will consist primarily of the installation of the main storm sewer on the west side of the street. However, with the utility duct banks complete, utility crews will continue working to transfer services from overhead to underground. Utility work will continue at least through the middle of January on Kirby. Texas Sterling’s ability to begin storm sewer installation on Kirby hinges on how quickly the utility providers are able to make the transfer of services.
Impact: For motorists with Kirby Drive destinations, expect the westernmost two lanes to remain closed during the month of January. Traffic control will remain in its current state until drainage and utility work is completed on the west side of Kirby.
West Alabama
Storm sewer installation will also begin in January on West Alabama between Kirby and Revere. This section of roadway will entail the installation of new storm sewer lines, storm inlets and the repaving of the roadway.
Impact: One way access will be maintained on Alabama as work progresses and temporary business driveways will remain accessible baring short periods of time when work runs immediately across those access points. Motorists can also expect full retail driveway access off of Kirby as this work is completed.
Colquitt
Repaving on the north side of Colquitt is expected to be completed around the first half of January and Crews should have Colquitt fully restored and functional between Kirby and Ferndale at around that time.
Impact: One way traffic will remain open as work progresses in the eastbound lane. On-street parking will, however, be hampered during construction.
Kipling
On Kipling east of Kirby work will be in its final stages primarily on Revere. There will most likely be some overlay work and finishing touches, particularly at intersections, will be completed in the month of January and crews should be out of the area by the end of the month.
Impact: As work continues on Revere, motorists and patrons should expect intersection disruptions between Kipling and Cameron. Through traffic will be maintained.
Please note that completion dates mentioned above are estimates and are subject to delay by weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Further updates on construction progress will be posted regularly on www.upperkirbydistrict.org. For additional questions on this, or other Upper Kirby District projects, contact Travis Younkin at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call 713.524.8000.
District Updates
Kirby Drive: The Month Ahead
The Kirby Drive Drainage and Mobility Improvements Project—a project managed by the Upper Kirby District Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 19 (TIRZ 19) — began in July. The project area extends from Richmond north to Westheimer and will include vital drainage and mobility upgrades, the burial of all over head utility lines, water and sanitary sewer improvements and the implementation of a complete streetscape and landscaping plan funded by Harris County Improvement District No. 3 (HCID 3) and designed by HOK Architects.
November Progress
Things have quieted down considerably on Kirby Drive since the Thanksgiving break. Construction crews have since halted all work directly on Kirby Drive and the majority of work on West Alabama to allow easier retail access during the shopping season. While storm sewer work will continue on the lateral streets of Colquitt, Richton, Branard and Kipling, Texas Sterling crews will be completely stopping all project related work between December 24 and January 1. While some workers may be on site over the first weekend of January, the majority of the project construction will not resume until Monday, January 5.
Through November, Texas Sterling Construction crews have substantially completed the utility duct bank installation portion of this project along the west side of Kirby Drive. Both the CenterPoint duct as well as the telecommunications duct has been finished along the length of the project with the exception of a few connections that can not be finished until new CenterPoint terminal poles are set. This minor work is expected to be completed in early December.
Crews also successfully installed the majority of the storm sewer work along Colquitt heading west from Kirby to Ferndale in November. The south side of Colquitt has been paved from Kirby to Ferndale with the exception of one section of the roadway just west of Virginia. Crews identified a conflict at that location between the storm sewer inlet and existing underground CenterPoint facilities. Once CenterPoint has relocated their underground facilities, the storm inlet can be completed and the hole filled and paved. Paving preparation has begun on the north side of Colquitt moving west from Kirby and road repaving will continue through December.
Storm sewer installation along Richton is complete; however, further restoration is on hold pending the installation of a new utility terminal pole. Temporary paving is expected to be put down so the roadway can be reopened until work can continue.
Storm sewer crews have also completed the installation of new lateral lines on Kipling and Branard on the east side of Kirby. Storm sewer installation on Branard extends on Branard from Kirby east to Revere and then south on Revere to West Main. Crews have paved the roadway from Kirby approximately to the east side of the Carrabba’s property along this line. As of the last week of November, Texas Sterling was waiting on CenterPoint to set a final terminal pole just east of the Carrabba’s parking lot so they can connect the utility duct to the terminal pole. Paving along the remaining portion of Branard as well as on Revere from Branard to South Main is expected to be completed in the month of December.
On Kipling, the construction area extends from Kirby east to Revere and then south approximately to Cameron. The storm sewer and related storm inlets have been completed along this stretch and crews have begun paving and asphalt work that will continue through December. Work began just prior to the Thanksgiving holiday on Kipling west of Kirby Drive. Storm work along this lateral line will run from Kirby west to Ferndale and then north to about the mid-block point between Kipling and Westheimer. Construction began around mid-block between Kirby and Virginia and should take approximately six weeks to complete.
What to Expect in December
There will be no work by Texas Sterling crews directly on Kirby Drive until after the first of the year. At that point, work on Kirby will consist primarily of the installation of the main storm sewer on the west side of the street. However, with the utility duct banks complete, utility crews will continue working to transfer services from overhead to underground. Utility work will continue through December on Kirby so that Texas Sterling is free to begin the storm sewer installation in early January.
Impact: For motorists with Kirby Drive destinations, expect the westernmost two lanes to remain closed during the month of December. Two lanes in each direction will remain in service for the entire project length and an additional left-hand turn lane will be provided at signalized intersections.
Road repaving will continue on Kipling and Branard east of Kirby in December. Both of these lines are expected to be complete by the end of the month.
Impact: As work progresses along Branard, Kipling and Revere, motorists and patrons should expect one lane of traffic to be maintained at all times. As half of the roadway is under construction, the other half will remain open to one-way traffic with flagmen and traffic officers ushering the flow of vehicles as needed. Traffic moving opposite of the one-way traffic allowed along these streets will be detoured to adjacent streets as needed. Driveway access to businesses will be maintained during construction, however, on-street parking will be seriously limited.
Work on Kipling west of Kirby will consist of storm sewer and inlet installation and asphalt work throughout the month of December. Crews should reach Ferndale at Kipling around the first week of December.
Impact: Motorists and residents impacted by this construction should expect similar conditions as on other lateral construction areas. Traffic will remain open to one-way movement during the majority of the project duration and on-street parking will not be available. During any periods when access to Kipling or Ferndale is blocked, traffic will be detoured and flagmen will be utilized if necessary.
Repaving will continue on the north side of Colquitt in December and the concrete recently poured on the south side of the street will be structurally sound enough to support traffic. Crews should have Colquitt fully restored in the month of December.
Impact: One way traffic will remain open as work progresses in the eastbound lane. On-street parking will, however, be hampered during construction. For patrons with Robert’s Carpet or Gallery Row destinations, on-street parking on Lake Street will not be inhibited and vehicle access on Colquitt between Kirby and Lake will be available.
Please note that completion dates mentioned above are estimates and are subject to delay by weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Further updates on construction progress will be posted regularly on www.upperkirbydistrict.org. For additional questions on this, or other Upper Kirby District projects, contact Travis Younkin at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call 713.524.8000.
District Updates
Kirby Drive: The Month Ahead
The Kirby Drive Drainage and Mobility Improvements Project—a project managed by the Upper Kirby District Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 19 (TIRZ 19) — began in July and is now fast approaching completion of the utility facilities relocation phase of construction. The project area extends from Richmond north to Westheimer and will include vital drainage and mobility upgrades, the burial of all over head utility lines, water and sanitary sewer improvements and the implementation of a complete streetscape and landscaping plan funded by Harris County Improvement District No. 3 (HCID 3) and designed by HOK Architects.
October Progress
Texas Sterling Construction crews have spent October trying to offset the delays caused by Hurricane Ike and have made significant progress by working late hours, seven days a week. Since July, construction has focused on the installation of two utility duct banks along the west side of Kirby Drive. One of these ducts will house all nine telecommunication providers while the other will be dedicated to Center Point Energy’s electrical service.
In October, the telecommunication duct was substantially completed and is ready for the telecommunication providers to begin running lines through the new facilities underground. The electrical duct continues to progress and is expected to be complete prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. Texas Sterling is, however, depending on CenterPoint to stake future pole locations off of Kirby prior to them being able to complete the work.
Storm sewer crews also began installing new lateral lines on Kipling and Branard on the east side of Kirby that will feed into the main drainage system running north/south on Kirby Drive. On Kipling, construction will extend from Kirby east to Revere and then south approximately to Cameron. Crews have completed the storm sewer installation up to the Argonne intersection and will continue sewer installation and repaving work through November. Work on Branard was completed in October and crews have begun excavating the roadway in anticipation of repaving. The Branard construction is expected to be complete in the first two weeks of November.
What to Expect in November
The month ahead will entail continuing efforts to complete the CenterPoint utility duct bank moving northbound along the west side of Kirby. Work on lateral duct banks that extend services east/west from the main duct on Kirby will also be underway primarily at the Westheimer, West Alabama and Richmond intersections
Impact: For motorists with Kirby Drive destinations, expect the westernmost two lanes to remain closed during the month of November. Two lanes in each direction will remain in service for the entire project length and an additional left-hand turn lane will be provided at signalized intersections. For the lateral work at Richmond and West Alabama, traffic lanes will be shifted one lane to the west. This transition will occur beginning just south of each intersection and will extend approximately 200 feet in each case. There will be no impact on the number of lanes or the turning movements at these intersections.
This project will also add capacity to the storm sewer lines on four side-streets: Colquitt, Branard, West Alabama and Kipling. As the storm sewer lines are upgraded on these streets, all inlets will be improved and the roadway will be reconstructed and restored with new pavement. Lateral storm sewer work and road repaving will continue on Kipling and Branard in November. Kipling east of Kirby is expected to be completed by November 21 with Branard finishing slightly sooner.
Impact: As work progresses along Branard, Kipling and Revere, motorists and patrons should expect one lane of traffic to be maintained at all times. As half of the roadway is under construction, the other half will remain open to one-way traffic with flagmen and traffic officers ushering the flow of vehicles as needed. Traffic moving opposite of the one-way traffic allowed along these streets will be detoured to adjacent streets as needed. Driveway access to businesses will be maintained during construction, however, on-street parking will be seriously limited.
Also in November, construction will begin on the lateral storm sewer upgrades on Colquitt west of Kirby Drive. Beginning the last week of October, storm sewer installation will move west from Kirby to Sackett then south on Sackett to the dead-end. It is anticipated that sewer work will take around three to three-and-a-half weeks and repaving will take an additional two to three weeks. Crews should have Colquitt fully restored after the first week of December.
Impact: Motorists and patrons with Colquitt or Sackett destinations should expect conditions similar to those experienced on Kipling, Branard and Revere. One way traffic will remain open as work progresses in the opposite lane and driveway access will be maintained. On-street parking will, however, be hampered during construction. For patrons with Robert’s Carpet or Gallery Row destinations, on-street parking on Lake Street will not be inhibited.
Please note that completion dates mentioned above are estimates and are subject to delay by weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Further updates on construction progress will be posted regularly on www.upperkirbydistrict.org. For additional questions on this, or other Upper Kirby District projects, contact Travis Younkin at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call 713.524.8000.
District Updates
Kirby Drive: The Month Ahead
Texas Sterling Construction crews continue to progress on the Kirby Drive Drainage and Mobility Improvements Project—a project managed by the Upper Kirby District Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 19 (TIRZ 19)—despite the significant impact of Hurricane Ike. The project area extends from Richmond north to Westheimer and will include vital drainage and mobility upgrades, the burial of all over head utility lines, water and sanitary sewer improvements and the implementation of a complete streetscape and landscaping plan funded by Harris County Improvement District No. 3 (HCID 3) and designed by HOK Architects.
September Progress
Since July, construction has focused on the installation of two utility duct banks along the west side of Kirby Drive. One of these ducts will house all nine telecommunication providers while the other will be dedicated to Center Point Energy’s electrical service. The benefit of underground utilities has become even more evident since Ike left the majority of Houstonians’ businesses and residences without power for extended periods of time. The majority of outages were a result of above ground poles, lines and transformers being damaged by nearby trees or direct high wind exposure. Areas such as downtown, equipped with underground utilities and connections, maintained power throughout the storm.
In September, the telecommunication duct was substantially completed. Much progress has been made on the electrical duct as well, however, continued progress will be impacted by storm-related delays. As it is a CenterPoint duct, it must be inspected daily by CenterPoint prior to Texas Sterling moving forward. As CenterPoint continues to work to restore power city-wide, they have not been able to make daily inspections as scheduled. CenterPoint has, however, indicated that they will be utilizing a third-party contractor to continue inspections while Ike recovery efforts are still underway.
The Impact of Ike
Kirby Drive between Richmond and Westheimer faired well through the storm thanks in large part to the thorough job done by project contractors in cleaning and securing the site prior to Ike making landfall. There was no significant construction debris damage and the overhead utility poles and lines on the west side of Kirby remained intact. There was one broken utility pole (still down as of late September) on West Alabama, west of Kirby.
As with most businesses, the lack of employees prepared to return to work in the first few days after Ike coupled with power loss and a shortage of fuel available city-wide has been a challenge in getting back to a normal work schedule. In the week following the storm, Texas Sterling was able to complete some excavation work, however, as with most of us in Houston, the majority of the week was spent cleaning and removing tree debris so that daily operations could continue.
What to Expect in October
The month ahead will entail continuing efforts to complete the CenterPoint utility duct bank moving northbound along the west side of Kirby. Crews will also begin boring under Kirby from west to east at West Alabama and Kipling to lay the groundwork that will allow east/west overhead utilities currently crossing Kirby to be moved underground as well.
Impact: For motorists with Kirby Drive destinations, expect the westernmost two lanes to remain closed during the month of October. Two lanes in each direction will remain in service for the entire project length and an additional left-hand turn lane will be provided at signalized intersections.
Also in October, construction will begin on the lateral storm sewer upgrades that feed into the Kirby Drive drainage system. This project will add capacity to the storm sewer lines on four side-streets: Colquitt, Branard, West Alabama and Kipling. In October, work will begin on Branard and Kipling both east of Kirby Drive. As the storm sewer lines are upgraded on these streets, all inlets will be improved and the roadway will be reconstructed and restored with new pavement. In October, work will begin east of Kirby, move along Branard to Revere and then turn south and extend to West Main. On Kipling, work will begin east of Kirby, move along Kipling to Revere and move south to Cameron.
Impact: As work progresses along Branard, Kipling and Revere, motorists and patrons should expect one lane of traffic to be maintained at all times. As half of the roadway is under construction, the other half will remain open tone-way traffic with flagmen and traffic officers ushering the flow of vehicles as needed. Traffic moving opposite of the one-way traffic allowed along these streets will be detoured to adjacent streets as needed. Driveway access to businesses will be maintained during construction, however, on-street parking will be seriously limited.
Further updates on construction progress will be posted regularly on www.upperkirbydistrict.org. For additional questions on this, or other Upper Kirby District projects, contact Travis Younkin at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call 713.524.8000.
|
