Memorial Drive tunnels to open this spring

Houstonians can enjoy a preview of the much-anticipated Memorial Drive tunnels through Memorial Park during a public walk-through scheduled for Feb. 5.

Construction began in late 2020 backed by public and private funding, including a $70 million donation from the Kinder Foundation, according to the Houston Chronicle. The tunnel called an “architectural feat,” will open to traffic in March and April.

The tunnels will connect the north and south sides of the park, which were split by Memorial Drive, the only major road in the park. The tunnels will burrow under 25 acres of added park space that create a land bridge. The new acreage will feature trails and “native prairie landscapes,” according to a release.

A month after the walk-through the eastbound lanes of Memorial Drive will be routed first. The westbound lanes will be routed in April, according to the release.

Memorial Drive is currently detoured around the construction. When the tunnels open, the old Memorial Drive will be demolished and replaced by part of the estimated new park space. That, along with other work in the project, will transform a total of 100 acres of park space.

Dozens of acres of Gulf Coast prairie should give the landscape a natural feel, but it will take years and years to mature, according to Memorial Park Conservancy spokesperson Caroline Dawson.