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'Decades of neglect': How Corpus Christi leaders are responding to awful street conditions

City leaders just passed a historic $1.4 billion budget, with $330 million plus dedicated to street repairs.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The City of Corpus Christi has been paying attention to our 'Driving You Crazy' series with pen and paper in hand these last few weeks. 

We had a chance to visit with the Interim Director of Public Works, Gabriel Hinojosa, to get his take on efforts to repair and replace all those potholes and bumps that are driving you crazy. 

Hinojosa has only been on the job for a couple of months but already has his hands full.

RELATED: Driving You Crazy Finals: Airport vs. Timbergate

"We know decades of neglect have gotten us to this point," Hinojosa said. 

City leaders just passed a historic $1.4 billion budget, with $330 million plus dedicated to street repairs. 

The money will help with training workers, addressing base failures along roadways, cracks in streets and yes, potholes. 

"Streets is the number one priority. Council said it. City staff knows it," Hinojosa said. "I think you see that reflected in the amount of funding we're going to be receiving."

Thanks to viewer recommendations the last couple weeks, we set out to capture some of the worst streets around town to fill out our 'Driving You Crazy' bracket. The City was paying close attention, with plans to address these shock shakers and undercarriage ticklers. 

Heavy on our list this year were repeat offenders including Airport Rd., Prescott Ave., and Brownlee Blvd. 

The good news is that Airport Rd. is part of a bond package with work currently underway. 

"That whole stretch is under design right now," Hinojosa said. "Once that design is in, we'll bid it out for construction."

In a Driving You Crazy first, one viewer was concerned about the bike lane and safety along Holly Rd., which is currently getting an upgrade. 

"It's not like Airport, where Airport is a reconstruction," Hinojosa said. "So, Holly is what we call a preventative maintenance, so you'll see a thick layer of asphalt removed from the top then replaced." 

Work on Holly should be completed in two months. Meanwhile, if you see a pothole on the roadway you can report it to the City by calling 311.

Tune in to First Edition tomorrow when we reveal our winner of Driving You Crazy. 

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