Progress on the new Harbor Bridge as it looked in June 2022. While construction on the cable-stayed part of the bridge has been suspended, work continues on feeder roads and entrances to the bridge.
Legislators representing the Coastal Bend have asked the Texas Department of Transportation for more details on why it suspended construction on the new Harbor Bridge and how long the shutdown will last. The main concern is that delays will ramp up the cost of the almost $1 billion bridge and negatively affect business at the Port of Corpus Christi.
Harbor Bridge construction began in August 2016. Original completion dates were set in 2020, but several delays, including firing the design engineers in 2020, have put more recent projections into 2024.
TxDOT suspended bridge construction on July 15, 2022, citing concerns about the cable-stayed span portion of the bridge.
In a joint statement, a bipartisan group of Texas legislators called on TxDOT to release details about the delays and what it will cost the state. They also wanted to make sure cost overruns would not come from any local funds or government entities. The city of Corpus Christi, Nueces County, and the Port of Corpus Christi have contributed to the bridge's construction.
”We also expect to be updated as significant changes or decisions are made regarding the Harbor Bridge Project,” reads the statement, which was signed by state Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D-McAllen) and state Reps. Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi) and Abel Herrero (D-Robstown)."We also expect Flatiron/Dragados to address the issues and concerns identified in the review in an expeditious manner with safety as a priority."
Flatiron/Dragados is the bridge's developer.
