On October 6, the City of Houston pushed Shepherd Drive's construction lane setup north. Northbound traffic had been held to two right lanes from the White Oak Bayou bridge to just south of 11th Street. Now that setup runs through the 11th Street intersection to the north side of 12th, according to the City's Engage Houston project page.
If you've crossed Shepherd at 11th this past week, you've already felt it. The schedule behind the shift matters more over the next year. The Shepherd-Durham project is scheduled so that work on the trail and sidewalks wraps up well before Shepherd's travel lanes do. The City lists completion for fall 2028, almost two years from now, and the project budget at $89,483,416.
What the October 6 Shift Actually Did
The City posted the notice on October 5 and gave a specific reason for the change:
The new traffic pattern will allow crews to continue construction of underground utilities, new roadway pavement, sidewalks, and other streetscape elements along Shepherd Drive.
During the shift itself, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 6, northbound Shepherd was down to a single lane. The City told drivers to expect delays and to watch for officers and crews near the 11th Street intersection. That one-day closure is over. The two-right-lane setup it extended is still in place.
The Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority's latest construction update has the longer timeline. On Shepherd from the White Oak Bayou overpass to 11th Street, two lanes stay open on the east side while crews work on the west side. That setup is expected to last through summer 2027. At 11th through 12th Street, MHRA describes this fall's change as making room for temporary pavement work and does not give an end date. As of today, that means about nine more months of the same Shepherd south of 11th.
The Order the Work Is Scheduled to Finish
The City and MHRA put their nearest dates on the trail and the Durham sidewalks. Their later dates are for the travel lanes.
| Segment | What's happening | Expected timing |
|---|---|---|
| MKT Trail, between the Durham and Shepherd underpasses | Sanitary sewer line and manholes under the trail; temporary path open to people on foot and bikes | Work continues through October 2026, then a new concrete path and grass restoration |
| Durham Drive, west side, Glen Oak Street to 11th Street | Curb, gutter and sidewalk work after underground utilities wrap up | Fall 2026, then traffic moves from the current east-side lanes to the new west-side lanes |
| Shepherd Feeder, 7th to 7½ Street | Reopened to one northbound lane | Done |
| Shepherd Feeder, 6th to 7th Street | Similar improvements | Expected to begin spring 2027 |
| Shepherd Drive, White Oak Bayou overpass to 11th Street | Two east-side lanes open while crews work on the west side | Through summer 2027 |
| Full project | Reconstruction, utilities, streetscape | Fall 2028 |
The MKT Trail never fully closed during the sewer work. MHRA says people on foot and bikes have been using a temporary path between the Durham and Shepherd underpasses, and a new concrete pathway is planned once the sewer line is in. MHRA has not published a completion date for that pathway. Durham's west-side sidewalk is set to finish this fall. Shepherd's driving setup, meanwhile, holds until next summer.
Why the Lanes Come Last
The order follows from what's underground. In its June 29, 2026 update, the City said crews were laying wastewater, stormwater and water lines between the MKT Trail and 11th Street. Utility relocations were still going on from 11th to 15th, and roadway and sidewalk work was to follow between the trail and 11th.
MHRA describes a project that goes well below the pavement. It covers storm drainage and new water, wastewater and other utility lines, along with signals, crosswalks, signal timing, lighting and landscaping. Pipes have to go in before pavement, and sidewalks along the edge of the street can be built in shorter stretches than a full travel lane. So the parts at the edge of the street finish first, and the middle of Shepherd waits.
This is also the second phase of a longer corridor. Community Impact reported in April 2024 that the reconstruction runs from the north side of Loop 610 to I-10. Phase 1 covers Loop 610 to W. 15th Street. Phase 2 covers W. 15th to I-10, plus parts of W. 11th, W. 12th, W. 14th and W. 15th streets. The 11th Street crossing sits in the middle of Phase 2, which is why it has become the pinch point now.
What 11th and Shepherd Look Like When It's Done
The finished design comes from a compromise announced in June 2024. Community Impact and Houston Public Media covered the details at the time. Here is what the Phase 2 stretch is designed to include, as Community Impact reported it:
- Three 11-foot through lanes on Shepherd and on Durham, with left-turn lanes at selected points
- Bike lanes and 6-foot sidewalks
- Four lanes on 11th Street between Durham and Shepherd, two in each direction
- Four lanes on the block of 11th just east of Shepherd
- A signal analysis six to 12 months after completion
The two phases differ in one detail. Houston Public Media reported that Phase 1, north of 15th, cut four vehicle lanes to three and added a 10-foot shared-use path. The Phase 2 compromise calls for bike lanes and 6-foot sidewalks instead. So when the work is done, someone riding the length of the corridor will move from one kind of bike facility to another somewhere around 15th Street.
Trees are part of the plan too. The City says it will plant more than 500 trees across the project area after construction, and it acknowledges that some existing trees will come down along the way.
At the time of the compromise, the Houston Chronicle reported that District C Council Member Abbie Kamin called the project in the community's best interest. Mayor John Whitmire noted that Shepherd and Durham also serve as regional traffic relief routes. The street has to work for people driving through the Heights as well as for people who live here, and the four lanes kept on 11th reflect that.
The Storefronts Along the Stretch
New tenants are still signing on along the corridor during construction. On October 11, Chron reported that Bafang Dumplings plans its first Houston location at 915 N. Shepherd Drive, Suite H. The filing describes a possible remodel from December 15, 2026 through mid-June 2027. That buildout window overlaps most of the months that MHRA expects the overpass-to-11th lane setup to stay in place. Plans like this can change, so for now it's an announced plan, not an open restaurant.
Keeping Up With the Live Schedule
Each date above is a forecast that can move. Work windows also come and go. MHRA's February 2026 detour notice, for example, covered a Durham east-side lane reduction and a Shepherd Feeder closure that both ended in June. It sent drivers around the feeder via W. 7th, Dorothy, W. 10th and nearby streets, and that detour is over. The next notices will likely be about Durham traffic moving onto its new west-side lanes this fall and the Shepherd Feeder work between 6th and 7th starting in spring 2027.
For the current version, the City takes questions at 311 or [email protected], and MHRA sends updates through its mailer.
If you own a home near Shepherd, Durham or 11th Street and wonder how a construction timeline running to 2028 might affect when you list or how buyers see your block, Gayle G. Kennedy can go over it with you. Request a complimentary home valuation and consultation, and we'll compare the City's schedule with your own plans.
