The Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi, Texas has had blaring problems in the design of the bridge. Now, the $1 billion structure is getting the design issue resolved, and will begin construction again as soon as next week.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) and the project developer, Flatiron/Dragados, made the announcement last Friday during a tour of the incomplete north and south bridge approaches with local media outlets.
Valente Olivarez Jr., TxDOT's Corpus Christi District engineer, said there is a tentative completion date of 2025. Officials said a more specific timeline would be provided when the design concerns are resolved.
“Flatiron/Dragados feels pretty confident that we are looking at a 2025 date with completion and opening, but … it depends on finalizing the (design) solutions,” Olivarez said while briefing media under the new bridge approach on North Beach.
Arup-CFC, TxDOT and Flatiron/Dragados’ engineer of record, resolved the bridge's design dispute over the delta frames. The redesign, which Olivarez said was approved on Thursday, included additional steel to specific parts of the frame.
Olivarez and Lynn Allison, a spokesperson for Flatiron/Dragados had said that the work of precasting the delta frames could resume at the developer’s Robstown precasting site as early as next week.
Still outstanding are the deficiencies in the bridge's main span design, including elements of the bridge's foundation and stability in certain wind conditions, and the specific crane placements during the construction process of the main span.
Flatiron/Dagados will incur the cost of both the design adjustments and the repairs. Rob Boyce, Harbor Bridge construction manager for Flatiron/Dragados said that it is not known how much they will cost.
TXDOT's legal ramifications from August to Flatiron/Dragados is still in effect, meaning TXDOT can remove the developer without issuing an additional notice until the agency decides to rescind it. According to an agreement between the two from October 6, the ramification will remain in place until Flatiron/Dragados initiates work to address the design concerns to TxDOT's satisfaction
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Source: Caller Times
