A key stretch of one of Houston’s busiest hike-and-bike trails will be closed for months this summer, forcing daily detours for thousands of cyclists and pedestrians who rely on it to move between the Heights and downtown.
The stretch of the White Oak Bayou Greenway near N. Shepherd is currently closed to cyclists and foot travel due to flood-improvement work along the bayou. According to KPRC 2’s Nicole Nielsen, the closures are due to the removal and replacement of “large-scale concrete slabs” along the bayou. The stretch of the trail undergoing renovation will be closed for roughly 90 days, and will be closed daily from roughly 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
The White Oak Bayou Trail is among the most heavily used trails in Houston. The Houston Parks Board says roughly 1.5 million visitors use the trail annually, which serves as a major connecting point between the Heights and downtown Houston. A Tale of Two Bridges, a transportation advocacy group in Houston, criticized the trail closure last week, frustrated by a lack of “public notice” of the greenway’s closure.
“Flood control work is critical infrastructure work, and repairs should absolutely move forward,” the group wrote. “Closures on one of Houston’s most heavily used trails should also come with clear public notice, a posted detour, and coordination with the jurisdictions and community groups that help steward these spaces.”
The Harris County Flood Control District provided Nielsen with a pair of alternate detour routes for travelers along the bayou.
Those heading southbound toward downtown are advised to turn left at 11th Street or TC Jester Street, then ride or walk along the Heights MKT Hike and Bike Path for 1.5 miles before returning to the open stretch of the White Oak Bayou Greenway. Those heading northbound will turn right at 11th Street or TC Jester Street, then ride the MKT trail 1.5 miles southwest until they rejoin the White Oak Bayou Greenway via the Moi Street Bridge.
No official date is posted for the expected end of the greenway’s closure, though Nielsen reports crews on-site hope to fully re-open the closed stretch by mid-September.