An architect’s rendering of the new Harbor Bridge now under construction in Corpus Christi. The structure is expected to cost $291 million and be completed in 2021.
At least one-third of the funding for the new $930 million Harbor Bridge is in jeopardy. Federal Highway Administration funds could be withheld from the project if a dispute between the feds and the state over who should be paid relocation funds in the Hillcrest neighborhood is not settled soon. In fact, the federal highway agency has given the Texas Department of Transportation until Feb. 18 to comply with Title VI Civil Rights agreements that were reached between the two in December 2015.
The two-year-old agreement states that “Title VI protects and applies to all persons,” a definition the federal highway agency says is extended to undocumented immigrants and landlords who own property in the area but do not live there.
TxDOT disagrees, stating that while undocumented immigrants are eligible for other benefits, they do not qualify for relocations. Also, landlords should only receive moving costs, not housing replacement. Giving relocation funds to undocumented residents would mean helping “undocumented aliens relocate and remain in the country where they are unlawfully residing,” reads one of several letters that have been sent back and forth between the two agencies.
Officials at TxDOT halted the payout of relocation funds because of the dispute in November 2016. Outraged residents of the Hillcrest neighborhood see this as another violation of their civil rights and have called for a halt on construction until an agreement is reached with the federal government.
“We will take all possible actions to ensure the new Harbor Bridge is on hold as long as our lives are on hold,” reads a statement from Citizens Alliance for Fairness and Progress, one of the groups behind the filing of the original Civil Rights complaint.
TxDOT released a statement in mid-January saying it would continue to work on the project and that construction should not be halted.
“We are confident we will be able to effectively resolves these issues with FHWA in the coming weeks in a manner that is equitable to all property owners and residents affected by the project,” reads the statement. “Progress on the Harbor Bridge project will not be slowed as we resolve these issues.”
The firm hired to coordinate the relocations, Del Richardson & Associates, is moving forward with its application process while the state and federal agencies work to settle the problem.
