- TxDOT hosted a public scoping meeting at Mansion Royal on Thursday evening to gather citizens input about plans for a proposed second causeway on and off of Padre Island.
- Attendees were able to watch a recorded presentation, and write down their feedback on interactive maps for the proposed routes.
- There are five alternative options being studied for the proposed Regional Parkway–North Padre Island project.
- TxDOT says the project is currently in the environmental study phase, which will take two years. After that, one route will be decided on.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) hosted Public Scoping Meeting on Thursday, Oct. 3. The meeting was held for the proposed Regional Parkway-North Padre Island project from State Highway (SH) 286 on the Corpus Christi to Park Road (PR) 22 on North Padre Island, a length of about 15 miles in Nueces and Kleberg counties. At the meeting, TxDOT officials provided a prerecorded presentation and interactive maps of five route options where attendees could write down their feedback and concerns.
“This project is in the preliminary stages right now. We’re conducting an Environmental Impact Study. An Environmental Impact Study looks at the potential effects to the natural environment and the human environment, to humans. It is the most rigorous study that there is for transportation issues. So, we’re expecting that to take about two years," Rickey Dailey, the TxDOT Public Information Officer for the Corpus Christi Region said.
While some attendees were happy about the possibility of a second roadway on and off of the island, some expressed concerns at the meeting.
“There are just so many things we don’t know about each of these potential alternatives. There may be certain factors of typography, or land availability, suitability for some of these routes to cross Laguna Madre," Corpus Christi resident James Hooper said.
According to TxDOT officials, the Regional Parkway-North Padre Island project is currently in the environmental study phase, which is set to take two years to complete. One of the five proposed routes will be chosen after the environmental study is complete.
“It is the most rigorous study that there is for transportation issues. So, we’re expecting that to take about two years. Then, there will be another one to three years for utility adjustments, for permitting, for final design. And then after that, you’ve got about five years for construction," Dailey said.
TxDOT officials expect construction to start sometime in the 2030's.
"We have limited mobility. We have (a) lack of resiliency. We're trying to address that. This will also improve hurricane evacuation. Also, when there are incidents or an emergency, there will be an alternate route to the one that we have now. And there's also seasonal congestion on 286 and Park Road 22. So, that's what we're aiming to address with this project," Dailey said.
Residents have concerns about some of the five proposed options for the regional parkway.
“I would be extremely disappointed that if the Yorktown route were chosen. Simply because the existing traffic burden that Yorktown carries, let alone what it would be forecasted to carry," Hooper said.
If you missed Thursday night's meeting and want to watch the recorded presentation, you can find it here.
TxDOT will be accepting additional public comment through e-mail, online, and by mail until Friday, Oct. 18.
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