An architect’s rendering of what the new Harbor Bridge could look like from Whataburger Field. The bridge is expected to be the largest cable-stayed bridge in the U.S. and the third largest in the world. Courtesy Illustration
A dispute resolution process began May 28 between the main parties involved in a civil rights complaint involving placement of the new Harbor Bridge In Corpus Christi. The complaint was filed with the federal government late last year. No details were released about the private meeting, but Doug Hecox, a spokesman for the Federal Highway Administration said that public meetings would be held in Corpus Christi in the next few weeks.
"Meanwhile, the administration will continue with the dispute resolution process and the investigation into the allegations," he told Corpus Christi Business News.
Flatiron Constructors Inc. and Dragados USA Inc. will design and build the new Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi — once the FWHA signs an official Record of Decision. That won’t happen until the civil rights complaints have been settled, Hecox said.
“The desire of everyone is that this issue is resolved before construction begins,” he continued. “Our current focus in on gathering information from a variety of sources, not just the claimants, but also on the local and state level. We are trying to paint a picture to see if the claims are substantiated.”
Two longtime residents in the area sent a letter to FHWA on behalf of the residents of Hillcrest and Washington Coles neighborhoods. The letter asks for a Title VI compliance investigation into the Texas Department of Transportation selection of what is called the “red route” for the new Harbor Bridge.
Complainants Jean Salone and Rosie Porter cite three reasons they believe TxDOT violated Title VI’s prohibition on discrimination against minority neighborhoods. Salone has lived in the neighborhood for 50 years. Porter recently returned to the neighborhood in which she grew up to live with her daughter.
First, they cite a lack of adequate consultation with residents of the neighborhoods.
Secondly, they state, that without that consultation with these historically segregated neighborhoods, TxDOT is perpetuating past discrimination against the African-Americans who live there. The area has suffered “disproportionate environmental and health impacts through the siting of a previous highway in the neighborhood and the growth of the surrounding industrial district, including several refineries and the Port of Corpus Christi,” reads the letter in part.
Finally, TxDOT is charged with intentionally discriminating against African-American and Latino residents in the procedures used in the selection and public participation process.
The chosen builders
The contractors who will design and build the bridge were chosen at the Texas Transportation Commission’s meeting in Austin on April 30. The $854.6 million project was expected to begin this year with an estimated completion in 2020.
“I can’t tell you what a historical day this is for the Coastal Bend,” said Mayor Nelda Martinez as she addressed the April commission meeting. “[TxDOT] will not only be put on the national map with this epic bridge, but on the global map.”
Expected to last at least 100 years, the new bridge will be the largest cable-stayed bridge in the United States and the third largest in the world. Its 205-foot vertical clearance will allow bigger ships — including cruise ships — into the harbor.
The current Harbor Bridge, which was completed in 1959, has a vertical clearance of 138 feet. As for vehicle traffic on the bridge, six lanes will stretch above the 400-foot-wide ship channel.
The new bridge will have a flatter grade than the current Harbor Bridge, will include inside and outside shoulders and provide a new high-speed interchange that will join U.S. 181 and Interstate 37 with the Crosstown Expressway.
“These features will enhance the bridge’s safety as well as its use as a hurricane evacuation route,” said Ricky Dailey, a TxDOT spokesman stationed in Corpus Christi. “The significance for the city is that it’s going to make a positive contribution for decades to come for commerce, public safety and transportation.”
Commissioners chose Flatiron and Dragados from four bids submitted late last year. Dragados USA, which is based out of Germany, has constructed more than 1,000 bridges around the world, many of them cable-stay
