Notice of Public Hearing- December 8, 2016
A Public Hearing was held on February 18, 2014, at the Solomon Ortiz Center, 402 Harbor Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78401.
On Tuesday, February 18, 2014, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) held a Public Hearing to discuss plans to improve US 181 Harbor Bridge and to accept public comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Section 4(f) Evaluation prepared for the proposed project. The hearing, which consisted of an open house, a presentation, and a public comment session, took place at the Solomon Ortiz Center in Corpus Christi.
The public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Section 4(f) Evaluation closed on March 18, 2014.
Four alternatives plus a No-Build alternative are being considered, and a preferred alternative (Red) were identified for the proposed project in the Draft EIS. The proposed project would potentially involve the relocation of residences and businesses, and about 30 acres of right-of-way for the Green Alternative, 69 acres for the West Alternative and about 50 acres each of right-of-way for the Red and Orange Alternatives. In addition, the project would potentially require the use or taking of public land designated for use as parks and recreation areas, including Lovenskiold Park, TC Ayers Park, and the Rincon Channel Wetlands. All four alternatives involve impacts to wetlands and existing floodplain. The existing Harbor Bridge is considered to be a historic resource and would be removed as a result of the proposed project.
The preferred alternative would consist of a controlled-access facility on a new location and would include six lanes within a right-of-way width that varies between 200-430 feet, three 12-foot lanes in each direction with a median barrier and 12-foot inside and 10-foot outside shoulders. The alternative includes a 10-foot bicycle and pedestrian shared-use path on the main span of the bridge and on the bridge approaches.
The preferred alternative would require the acquisition of approximately 50 acres of new right-of-way, including 0.32 acres of Lovenskiold Park, 5.14 acres of T.C. Ayers Park, 39 residences, and three businesses, and would cause the displacement of four warehouses. Other environmental impacts would include community impacts, access changes, impacts to land use, floodplains, water quality, vegetation, hazardous materials, and traffic noise.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Section 4(f) Evaluation prepared for the proposed project is available on this website ( Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Section 4(f) Evaluation for the US 181 Harbor Bridge Improvements Project) The Draft EIS also includes an analysis of the impacts of the project on historic sites and on publicly owned parkland (the Section 4(f) analysis).
Although the Draft EIS identifies a preferred alternative, the final selection of the preferred alternative would occur only after a public comment period including a public hearing, the comments are considered, and the environmental effects are fully evaluated.
Public Hearing Information:
Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge Project 