News

Two new pedestrian bridges are part of the Buffalo Bayou Park – Shepherd to Sabine Phase I improvements.

Work began this summer on the 345-foot bridge at Jackson Hill over Buffalo Bayou that will connect trails on the north bank to the Allen Parkway side of the bayou. It also will tie directly to the existing bridge over Memorial, which will not be modified.

A second pedestrian bridge at the Police Memorial will also be installed allowing park users, for the first time, to access the Police Memorial from other areas of the park. We are delighted to announce that a generous donation has been made by the Carruth Foundation for this bridge.

Construction will begin on the bridge in late 2012 following work by the Harris County Flood Control District.

The Jackson Hill Bridge will resemble the Hobby Center Pedestrian Bridge, shown here. Photo by Tom Fox/SWA Group.

In addition to the new trail work on Buffalo Bayou, the City of Houston and the Texas Department of Transportation are installing a new pedestrian bridge at Shepherd Drive between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive. The new bridge will be attached to the piers that support the existing high Shepherd Bridge providing greater-and much safer access to runners, walkers, bicyclists.

Installation on the prefabricated bridge began in September and is expected to be complete before Spring 2013.

If you are accessing Buffalo Bayou Park in this area, please be aware of construction zones and read carefully the construction signage.

Phase I work will be executed in two stages. The first stage includes a new pedestrian bridge at Jackson Hill, a new bridge and trails providing access to the Police Memorial, and a new footbridge, stairs and earthwork at the Crosby Outfall area at the intersection of Sabine Street and Allen Parkway.

The 345-foot Jackson Hill Bridge will be the first bayou spanning bridge to be built, and it will connect via a small plaza to the existing pedestrian bridge which crosses over Memorial Drive. Similar in aesthetic to the Hobby Center Bridge, it will provide a safe and convenient route for cyclists and pedestrians to cross over Buffalo Bayou. A trail connector to the east and a footpath connector to the west will also be added. Improvements planned at Sabine Street and the Crosby Outfall will complement the existing trail into Eleanor Tinsley Park. The new footbridge will be 53 feet long and stairs will be upgraded to resemble those at the Sabine Promenade.

Phase I construction is expected to be completed by September 2013.

In August, the Harris County Flood Control District will start its channel conveyance restoration project. Work includes restoring the conveyance capacity of the bayou by removing accumulated sediment, repairing erosion and stabilizing bank failures. The District will also conduct selective clearing to remove invasive vegetation and, ultimately, implement a tree planting plan.

The District’s work will begin on the bayou’s north bank near the Police Memorial (north of Memorial Drive) and then proceed in seven phases to Shepherd Drive. This work will continue until late 2014 and is a continuation of the successful Pilot Project the District completed in 2010.

Overall, trail use in this area should not be heavily impacted. However, trails may be temporarily closed due to construction traffic crossing the trails. During these times, the construction contractor will have flagmen on-site directing pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Canoeists and kayakers should note there will be times when the bayou will be closed for safety reasons due to the construction.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the City of Houston continued work on the 4.6-mile Sandy Reed Memorial Trail on the south side of the bayou at Taft and Allen Parkway, extending eastward to Sabine Street. Trail users: Please note that for safety reasons the trail on the south side of Buffalo Bayou at Montrose (on the west) and Sabine (on the east) will be closed through approximately October 2012. Trail users are asked to stay on the north bank trails or detour from the south across the Rosemont Bridge.

At a June 27 community meeting, project consultant Guy Hagstette and Harris County Flood Control District’s Sandra Musgrove provided an overview of the Buffalo Bayou Park improvements. Attended by more than 160 Houstonians, the briefing provided residents, and bayou and trail users the opportunity to hear project details and ask questions. For a list of Frequently Asked Questions about Buffalo Bayou Park – Shepherd to Sabine, click here.

In early January, the Houston Chronicle highlighted one of Buffalo Bayou Park’s most fascinating features. Below the signature lawn being developed as The Water Works performance area, north of the existing Lee and Joe Jamail Skate Park, sits an unused City of Houston water reservoir. This 100,000-square-foot area has enormous potential. While there is currently no funding to develop the “Cistern,” as it has been dubbed, Houston-based SmartGeoMetrics has volunteered to produce 3D imaging of the cavernous space. Their work will help BBP accurately document the Cistern’s current as-is condition, conceptualize ideas for developing the space, and, with luck, facilitate funding. Imaging is expected to be completed by late summer. SmartGeoMetrics’ imaging will be given to the University of Houston’s Texas Learning and Computation Center (TLC2) who will vet a web-based public ideas process to come up with creative and sustainable potential uses. Stay tuned for details on this public ideas process!