Sharpstown CenterPoint Trail from Westpark Tollway to US 59

The corridor represents underutilized green space within the community that is convenient to many homes, schools, and businesses. It also has the potential to connect the neighborhood to the Westchase Trails in the north and Brays Bayou Greenway in the south. When complete, Brays Bayou Greenway will stretch over 30 miles from Buffalo Bayou in the east to George Bush Park in the west. Ultimately, completing the Sharpstown Trail will bring safety, connectivity, health, and economic benefits to the area. CobbFendley is responsible for providing planning, route analysis, study phase, preliminary engineering, final design (PS&E), bidding, and construction phase services.

In 2014, the City of Houston and CenterPoint Energy signed a Master License Agreement that would allow the City to build hike-and-bike trails on CenterPoint Energy’s utility corridors. This agreement opened the potential for a greatly expanded trail system across the City. Subsequently, the Sharpstown Civic Association identified the opportunity and importance of a trail connection to the existing Westchase Trail which parallels and to the north of the Westpark Tollway within the CenterPoint Energy corridor traversing south along South Gessner and from Harwin to south and going under existing US 59 (I 69) bridges over Brays Bayou terminating at the proposed Bayou Greenways Trail for approximately 3.5 miles of 10-foot-wide reinforced concrete trail. The project was divided into three segments/phases to expedite the project construction to utilize available funds prior to major escalation of construction material during COVID and avoid potential delays associated with ROW acquisition for one parcel in addition to the City of Houston, HCFCD, USACE, TxDOT, and CenterPoint permitting process which can be lengthy. The proposed trail CobbFendley scope of services included but not limited to engineering services including signage and drainage design for three segments of the Sharpstown Trail.

The project was funded by TIRZ 20 CIP with an estimated construction cost of $4.5 Million all-inclusive in 2019/pre-COVID. The current estimated construction cost is at $6.5 Million due to escalation of construction material, magnitude, and complexity of structural components required by TxDOT for the I 69 bridge under-crossing. These included 10-foot-tall retaining walls to negotiate an 11-foot drop from the trail to the shelf of the Brays Bayou in addition to modification of the existing slope paving under the bridges to create additional space and clearances for the 10-foot trail. CobbFendley recommended completion of design and construction documents to bid and construct the first phase of the trail, which is 1.8 miles, with available funds so the community can benefit from the facility while the remaining trail final design is in progress to resolve any/all outstanding issues concerning the ROW acquisition and obtain TxDOT, HCFCD, and USACE approval and permitting in a timely manner.