CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nueces County commissioners passed a resolution Wednesday supporting the construction of a second bridge onto Padre Island.
A location for the second bridge has not yet been released.
The massive project, which Mayor Paulette Guajardo said could cost up to $1 billion, would take help from TxDOT to come to fruition.
"It's all about TxDOT, right?" said Nueces County Pct. 4 Commissioner Brent Chesney. "We have to get high on TxDOT's funding list, because they have funding for projects. We're probably already behind other areas that have second causeway needs, but we need to get going."
But Wednesday's resolution is only a first step in the process.
Chesney said getting the necessary funding will take a strong delegation from areas who would benefit from the bridge, including the city of Corpus Christi, city of Port Aransas, Nueces County, San Patricio County, and Kleberg.
"This is gonna help everybody if we can have this second point of access," he said.
So what's the likelihood of the highly sought-after bridge being built in the next 10 years?
"I think it's high," said Dist. 20 State Senator Chuy Hinojosa.
Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo was excited that the county passed the resolution in support of the bridge, which would give Padre Island and Flour Bluff residents an alternate way to get off those islands.
The mayor says she thinks the city will follow suit.
She's also encouraged that State Rep. Todd Hunter and our other state lawmakers are going to work on drumming up more support among their fellow lawmakers and appealing to TXDOT.
"I am very grateful for chairman Hunter with spearheading this initiative, because the funding -- in terms of state funding -- and other buckets of money is essential," she said.
Hinojosa sits on the finance and transportation committees. He tells 3NEWS what has to happen before the state gets involved.
"You need to do a local environmental study to get the clearance from the federal government," he said. "Then you can put in an application and ask for funding from the state."
Hinojosa said the Coastal Bend needs to take cues from Rio Grande Valley.
"They already have an environmental clearance for a second causeway on South Padre Island," he said.
Nueces County Judge Connie Scott said the squeaky wheel gets the oil, and that's what's going to help Corpus Christi get state leaders' attention on the project.
"We just have to get in there and keep battling, and then tell them our needs are important," Scott said. "Our needs are very important."
The Metropolitan Planning Organization has the parkway on its 25-year plan. Hunter said he's going to work to get the parkway in TxDOT's 10-year plan.
Once that happens, the funding for the project can be figured out.
The thought of a bridge in addition to the JFK Causeway has Island businesses relieved.
Third Coast Beach Company manager Kaitlinn Suarez said navigating to The Island when the causeway is limited to one lane or closed down all together is not the easiest.
"Whenever the bridge is closed down, if you're on The Island but you live in town, but they close the bridge,” she said. “You have to go all the way down Port Aransas and take the whole circle around Corpus Christi Bay to come back into town. So hopefully, like if an emergency happens on that bridge, and they have to shut it down, everyone can take the alternate route."