The long-awaited, $1.3 billion Harbor Bridge opened Saturday in Corpus Christi, Texas, per a news release from the city. It replaces the aging original Harbor Bridge that had higher-than-average motorist accident rates, and represents the longest concrete segmental cable-stayed span in North America, according to the project website.
The bridge, which straddles the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, features 538-foot-tall towers that are high enough to accommodate taller ships that can carry more cargo, enabling the city to compete with other Gulf Coast deepwater ports, per the release.
“The new Harbor Bridge solidifies Corpus Christi’s position as a global energy hub, home to the Port of Corpus Christi, the nation’s largest crude oil export gateway and the third largest in the world,” said Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo in the release.
Built by a FlatironDragados team, the new bridge includes a shared-use path, a community plaza, LED lighting and xeriscape landscaping, per the release, and encompasses just over 6 miles of bridge and connecting roadway.
“With an expected service life of 170 years, this bridge will benefit the region for decades to come by providing faster commutes, safer travel and more economic opportunity,” Texas Transportation Commissioner Alejandro “Alex” Meade III said in the release.
The old Harbor Bridge had vehicular safety issues associated with its lack of shoulders, steep grade and a reverse curve, which led to a high accident rate, per the project website. It also had high maintenance costs and provided no acceptable access for those on foot or on bicycles. Crews demolished the structure as part of their scope of work.
The project was initially scheduled for completion in 2020, but encountered numerous difficulties such as disagreements over costs related to permitting, right-of-way acquisition, the COVID-19 pandemic and replacement of the engineer of record. In April 2023, a project crane caught fire and showered debris on the ground below, injuring two people at the nearby Whataburger Field.
Further delays came in 2022, when Texas DOT raised serious safety concerns with Broomfield, Colorado-based FlatironDragados and London-headquartered engineer Arup. The agency issued the notice of default due to five key design issues and forced construction work to shut down in August 2022 until the contractor addressed them. Those disputes and damage claims were settled in October 2023, and crews resumed work.
Southbound lanes opened Saturday and the northbound lanes of the new bridge are scheduled to open in early July, per the release.
