Replacement of the Harbor Bridge has cast a large shadow over another major highway construction project.
State Highway 358, also known asSouth Padre Island Drive or S.P.I.D., will undergo a reconstruction.
The east-to-west-running highway, which spans the city, has been under construction before, most recently in 2011. Construction on the highway is slated tooccur and be completed around the same time frame as the Harbor Bridge.
Construction on the Harbor Bridge replacement project began in 2016 and is expected to last through 2021.
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Work on the highway may seem familiarto drivers, who have seen similar work completed in2011.
Those projects to improve entry ramps were completed to address congestion problems. The projects took place from Kostoryz Road to Staples Street, according to Caller-Times archives.
Rickey Dailey, spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation, said the work that was done in 2008 to the westbound exit ramps, is the same work now being done to the eastbound exit ramps.
"It moves the exit ramp away from the intersections. Everhart (Road) eastbound is a prime example," Dailey said. "When cars are stopped eastbound at the light, they back up into the exit ramp and main lanes. ... It takes traffic that is backed up on the light and takes it off main lanes. That's the key point."
Construction of the Harbor Bridge and reconstruction on the highway means a little more than 21 miles of Corpus Christi roads will be markedwith crews and lane closures.
The Harbor Bridgecalls for 6.44 miles of road involved in the project, according to the Harbor Bridge Project. Highway 358's projectwill take on 15 miles of roadway from Leopard Street to Flour Bluff Drive. That work, which started in January, is expected to last through fall 2021, according to the project overview from the Texas Department of Transportation.
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But the biggestimprovements on the highwaywill occur from Ayers Street to Nile Road, where most of the ramps will be reconstructed.
By reconstructingthe ramps, Dailey said, the highway will be relieved from congestion and traffic will be directed to the frontage road. Traffic on the frontage road will also be traveling at a slower rate of speed, which is generally safer than the higher speeds of the main lanes of the highway, Dailey said.
The improvements will address the problems with vehicles merging to and from eastbound highway lanes and access roads, which often cause an increased risk of traffic accidents. Space on eastbound access roads for vehicles exiting the highway, causing traffic jams on the main lanes of the highway, will also be addressed, according to TxDoT.
Eastbound ramps from Weber Road to Staples Street will be reconstructed into "X-Ramps," which are exactly like the westbound Everhart Road and Staples Street exit ramps, Dailey said.
"As you approach an overpass there is an on ramp. Then when you go over the overpass there will be an exit ramp, which makes an "X" configuration, if you look above," Dailey said. "The biggest benefit is that you're taking traffic off the main lanes and off the ramp."
During construction, the existing exit ramp to Kostoryz Road and Carroll Lane will be moved about 1,000 feet to the west, about 0.19 miles. The existing exit ramp is about 1,000 feet away from the intersection.The existing Kostoryz entrance ramp will stay, according to project plans.
The Weber Road exit ramp will also be moved 1,000feet to the west, just after the Carroll Lane overpass.
Everhart and Weber roads will be the sites of the most noticeable changes.
The new Everhart Road exit ramp will begin after the Weber Road overpass, where the existing Weber Road entrance ramp is. A new entrance ramp will be constructed where the existing Everhart Road exit ramp is, just in front of Best Buy, the plans state.
Frontage road changes near the ramps will resemble the work done to the frontage road in front of La Palmera mall, which took place about 10 years ago. Ramp detail plans state the frontage road in front of Best Buy will have two through lanes and one entrance and exit lane.
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Dailey said the benefits seen from the 'X-ramps" done on the westbound side arethe biggest reason for doing the same work on the eastbound side.
"I think anyone you speak with will say that was a success," he said. "...Traffic that is at the stop light is in line on the frontage road instead of on the ramp and the main lanes. You pull the exit ramp as far away as you can from the intersection. It gives traffic time to weave on the frontage roads."
Staples Street will also have a new exit ramp, which will be located just past the Everhart Road overpass, the site of the existing Everhart Road entrance ramp, near Sam's Club. The new Everhart Road entrance ramp will be constructed where the existing Staples Street exit ramp is located, near Moore Plaza.
Staples Street's entrance ramp will be moved about 400 feet, about 133 yards, to the east. Airline Road's exit ramp will also be moved 400 feet to the west, moving it closer to Chubby's Mattress.
Moving these ramps, which are noticeably the most congested areas of the city, will help reduce traffic buildup on the highway.
"There are times it gets bad, especially on the weekend," said Corpus Christi Police Department Public Information Officer Travis Pace, adding that lunch and rush hours are also bad. "Our major intersections for accidents are along S.P.I.D., Everhart, Staples and Airline."
Reconstruction of the ramps means various lane closures and closures of existing exit ramps will bring drivers to a detour during nighttime hours. Drivers may have to exit before or after the closed ramp. Closures are expected to be from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., the project plan states.
The reconstruction, which was approved in October 2017by the Texas Transportation Commission,will address several traffic problems along the highway.
Reconstruction will occur duringthe span of 10 phases from January 2018 to fall 2021. Work on the highway, which will be completed by Bay Ltd,will cost TxDoT a little more than $46.6 million.
The city of Corpus Christi is also working with TxDoT on the project and moved utility linesout of TxDoT's alignment of the project, said Michelle Villarreal Leschper, city spokeswoman.
The city worked to move those lines before TxDoT began the project, shesaid, adding the price tag on the city's end wasabout $3.1 million.
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Though the ramps are the biggest improvement tobe made, the project involves other changes.
The project calls for adding a fourth lane to the eastbound freewayat Kostoryz Road, Carroll Lane, Weber and Everhart roadsand Staples Street.
Traffic signals that are out of sync, sidewalks and Intelligent Transportation System technology and lighting will be improved in areas from Leopard Street to Flour Bluff Drive, Dailey said.
PROJECT PHASES
Phase 1 - January 2018 to summer 2018
- Remove existing main lane median barrier, reconstruct inside shoulders and add temporary median barrier between Ayers Street and Airline Road.
- Widen eastbound frontage road west of Kostoryz Road.
Phase 2 - Summer 2018 to spring 2019
- Replace off-ramp from eastbound main lanes to Kostoryz Road and Carroll Lane.
- Widen eastbound frontage road pavement and construct sidewalks in segments.
Phase 3 - Spring to fall 2019
- Widen eastbound main lane bridge to four lanes at Kostoryz Road and Carroll Lane.
- Widen eastbound main lane pavement and reconstruct eastbound main lane/frontage road median between Everhart Road and Staples Street.
- Widen eastbound frontage road pavement and construct sidewalks between Staples Street and Airline Road.
Phase 4 - Summer 2019 to summer 2020
- Reconstruct on-ramp from Kostoryz Road to eastbound main lanes.
- Widen eastbound main lane bridge to four lanes at Weber and Everhart roads and Staples Street.
Phase 5 - Summer 2020
- Reconstruct main lane shoulders and median barrier between Ayers Street and Carroll Lane.
- Construct temporary off-ramp from eastbound main lanes to Everhart Road.
- Ramp reversal between Everhart Road and South Staples Street.
Phase 6 - Summer 2020 to spring 2021
- Ramp reversal between Weber and Everhart roads.
- Widen eastbound main lane pavement and reconstruct eastbound main lanes/frontage road median between Everhart Road and Staples Street.
- Reconstruct main laneshoulders and median barrier between Carroll Lane and Weber Road.
- Reconstruct off-ramp from eastbound main lanes to Airline Road.
Phases 7 to 10 - Fall 2021
- Reconstruct main lane shoulders and median barriers.
- Rehabilitate pavement at eastbound main lane bridges and overlay eastbound main lane pavement.
SH 358 Development Timeline
- 1941: Lexington Boulevard built from Ayers Street to Naval Air Station-Corpus Christi
- 1946: Roadway added to Texas highway system as SH 358
- 1950: Extended west to SH 9 (Leopard Street)
- 1960-1963: Expanded to four-lane divided roadway from NAS-CC to SH 9
- 1966: New connection built to I-37
- 1970-1972: Upgraded to freeway (controlled access, frontage roads,and overpasses) from SH 286 (Crosstown) to Airline Road
- 1980-1990:Upgraded to freeway from I-37 to SH 286 and from Airline Road to Flour Bluff
- 2008: New interchange built at SH 286
- 2011: First phase of ramp reversal built westbound from Staples Street to Ayers Street
Source: Texas Department of Transportation