The Texas DOT (TxDOT) recently confirmed that work on the $803 million replacement of the Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi has been suspended.
The suspension comes amid reports that the bridge's designer, FIGG Bridge Group, had been removed from the project, according to KRIS-TV.
The reports of FIGG's removal from the project come on the heels of the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) determination that the engineering firm made significant design errors that led to the fatal collapse of the Florida International University pedestrian bridge in Sweetwater, Florida.
TxDOT released a statement in response to an inquiry from KRIS-TV regarding the Harbor Bridge replacement project saying the agency "continues to fully review the recent findings by the [NTSB] for applicability to TxDOT projects. During this review, TxDOT has asked Flatiron/Dragados LLC, the developers of the Harbor Bridge Replacement Project, to suspend design activities on the Harbor Bridge project."
TxDOT also said it is prioritizing safety, and will continue to closely review the design and construction activities for the Harbor Bridge project.
According to the project's website, the current design of the Harbor Bridge would make it 1,661 ft in main span length, which would make it the longest cable-stay bridge in the U.S. once complete. It also would have a main tower height of 538 ft. It would be the tallest structure in South Texas when completed.
TxDOT recently announced that delays in construction would push the completion date to early 2023. It was previously expected to finish in 2021.
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SOURCE: KRIS-TV (Corpus Christi) / Harbor Bridge Project
