CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With more concerns surrounding the Harbor Bridge, the already delayed project will not only impact Corpus Christi residents but surrounding counties who rely heavily on it for their daily commute.
According to traffic data 3NEWS obtained from the Texas Department of Transportation, 54,000 people use the Harbor Bridge daily, that number by nearly 10,000 compared to 10 years ago.
"U.S. 181 through Portland is the 3rd largest volume of traffic in the Corpus Christi area," said Portland City Manager Randy Wright.
Wright told 3NEWS a large portion of their population works in Corpus Christi, which means a large commute from 6-to-9 a.m. each morning and reverse flow in the afternoon on their way home from work.
However, commuting isn't the only issue.
The bridge is a critical infrastructure between Corpus Christi and San Patricio County, and he hopes they are able to find a resolution that properly addresses all the issues and get back to construction.
"We have 12 million dollars invested in that bridge, it's a small amount to compare to what Nueces County and Corpus have in it," said San Patricio County Judge David Krebs. "But we are really anxious to know right now is this bridge going to be salvageable."
"We cannot stop it, we can't go back and leave it sitting there. We need a solution to that bridge," Krebs said.
Both officials agree that despite the further delay, public safety is of the utmost importance.
"We have a lot of confidence in TxDOT and their engineers that when it is finally completed it will be a safe mode of transportation for everyone in the Coastal Bend," Wright said.
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