CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — In the last 21 months, Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers have stopped 21 wrong-way drivers attempting to enter the Harbor Bridge.
DPS began its Harbor Bridge operations, which included continuous patrolling of the bridge and US-181, on March 11, 2023.
Since that date, troopers have stopped nearly 64,000 drivers and made 598 DWI arrests and 773 narcotics arrests.
KRIS 6 News began investigating these crashes in November 2022, and that investigation revealed at least eight people had died due to wrong-way drivers.
In an exclusive interview with KRIS 6 News in March 2023, Governor Greg Abbott called for action and said current attempts by the Texas Department of Transportation were "inadequate."
This call to action resulted in the permanent closure of two exits and another exit remains temporarily closed. A DPS trooper is stationed at the fourth exit, around the clock.
MORE: Watch Facing Danger Part One
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Since March 2023, nearly 25,000 citations have been issued, according to a DPS release.
"These numbers reflect the hard work and dedication of the Troopers assigned to the 11 counties of the Corpus District. While these numbers are only from the Harbor Bridge Operation, they represent the work ethic and commitment to the safety our Troopers and employees have for their fellow Texans traveling through the Coastal Bend as we head into the holiday travel period," said Harold Mallory, Public Information Officer for DPS, in a statement.
A statistical analysis of numbers released by DPS reveals that traffic stops have steadily increased over the last 21 months.
That data also reveals the number of total citations, warnings, and DWI arrests have increased. The total number of wrong-way drivers has decreased. From March to August of this year, there were no wrong-way drivers, compared with ten in the first six months of enforcement.
In the 21 months since enforcement began, there have been no fatal crashes attributed to wrong-way drivers on the Harbor Bridge.
BY THE NUMBERS
Traffic Stops: 63,960
Warnings: 68,575 (multiple warnings may have been issued to the same driver)
DWI Arrests: 598
Narcotics Arrests: 773
Wrong-Way Drivers Stopped: 21
Citations: 24,826
Speed Citations: 6,953
Seatbelt Citations: 805
Motorist Assists: 452
