tunnel vision

Game-changing Memorial Park tunnel finally opens to traffic

The Memorial Park tunnel opens Monday, March 28.

Rendering courtesy of Nelson Byrd Woltz

The wait is over for Houstonians who have been eagerly watching the construction of the opening of the Memorial Park land bridge tunnels.

On Monday, March 28, the first phase of the tunnels — eastbound — will open to the public, Memorial Park Conservancy announced.

Drivers should expect the first eastbound tunnel to open around 11:30 am Monday. The westbound tunnel is expected to open in May, per the conservancy.

Some pointers for drivers to remember as they navigate the game-changing system.

The tunnels are only for car traffic.
Tunnels will be well-lit by both natural and overhead lighting.
Though Memorial Drive is two-way, the tunnels are exclusively one-way traffic.
Drivers are instructed to maintain the posted 35 mph speed limit through the tunnels (they are part of the larger project construction zone).
No stopping is allowed.
During ongoing construction, traffic will continue to be limited to two lanes through the tunnels to maintain safety and access.

As CultureMap previously reported, this Memorial Park Land Bridge consists of two separate 35-foot-tall hills. It will essentially serve as a major connector for Memorial Park users and wildlife between the north and south sides of the Park. Visitors there can look forward to new gathering spaces with scenic views of Houston and the project’s expansive prairie system.

Together, the Land Bridge and accompanying prairie comprise green infrastructure that will introduce a new 100-acre area for Houstonians to explore and enjoy, provide a safe crossing for park users, reconnect wildlife corridors and help manage stormwater for the benefit of the city.

transportation parks urban-renewal traffic

Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”