Texas Department of Transportation Corpus Christi District

Texas Department of Transportation

Corpus Christi District

U.S. 181 (Harbor Bridge) Environmental Documentation and Schematic Development

Citizens’ Advisory Committee

March 7-8, 2006

Welcome

Tonight’s Agenda

• Introductions

• Project status and schedule

• New approaches to transportation project funding

• Public input process for design guidelines for new bridge

• Alternative alignments for new bridge

• Preparation for public meeting

Project Status

• Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

• Schematic Development

• Public Involvement

EIS

• Conducted field survey of historic resources in January 2006

• Began draft park land impact evaluation (T.C. Ayers Park)

• The red and orange corridor will be studied in detail

• Ready to begin impact evaluation of proposed alignments

Schematic Development

• Continued to develop alternative alignments

• TxDOT prepared review comments on four alternatives.

• Met Jan 23 with the City of Corpus Christi, MPO, and the Port of Corpus Christi

Public Involvement

• Developed project website: www.harborbridgereplacement.com

• Planned CAC meetings

• Held stakeholder meetings

Need for New Approach to Transportation Project

Funding

Transportation Funding Issues

• Who pays?

• How much do we pay?

• Why do we have a problem with transportation funding?

• What does the future hold?

Who Pays?

• Federal government

• TxDOT

• Both

• None of the above

Who Pays?

You pay

How Much Do We Pay?

State gas tax - $0.20/gal of gas consumed

Federal gas tax - $0.184/gal of gas consumed

Is the State Gas Tax Spent Just on Highway Construction?

Federal gas tax – 90% returned to Texas

State gas tax – 60% spent on highways

Public Schools24¢ ($695.1 million)

TxDOT59¢($1.702 billion)

Other4¢($120.9 million)

DPS13¢($376 million)

How the state fuel tax is spent?

Why Do We Have a Problem with Transportation Funding?

Recent studies indicate that:

• Passenger cars used 209 gallons less in 2002 than 1970.

• Trucks used 220 gallons less in 2002 than 1970.

• However, we drive twice as many miles today than 25 years ago.

Why Do We Have a Problem with Transportation Funding?

1980 2003 % Increase• Population 14 million 22 million 57%

• Vehicles 11.7 million 18.9 million 61%

• Lanes – miles 175,000 189,000 8%

State Gas Tax Trends

$0.30

$0.25$0.216

$0.20

$0.15

$0.10$0.075

$0.05$0.024

$0.001963 2003 Purchasing Power

in 2003

Source: Edward J. Regan, Moving Off the Gas Tax: Implications for the Toll Industry, August 2004, Tollways.

What Does the Future Hold?

• More fuel efficient vehicles

• By 2010, fuel consumption reduced another 30 to 40%

What Does the Future Hold? (cont.)

• Great for the environment

• Great for conservation

• Great for reducing our reliance on foreign oil

What Does the Future Hold? (cont.)

But not so great for transportation funding…. particularly if we continue to rely on the gas tax

What Does the Future Hold? (cont.)

SO WHAT IS THE ANSWER?

What Does the Future Hold? (cont.)

• Short term – now until about 2020

• Long term – After 2020

Long Term

Direct User Fees:

• Pilot Program currently underway by Oregon DOT

• Participants do not pay a gas tax

• Instead, participants pay a user fee based on distance traveled

• Vehicles and pumps equipped with GPS technology

Short Term

• Expansion of toll roads

• Tax on highly fuel efficient vehicles

• Increased investment from the private sector in the funding of highways

• Indexing the gas tax to inflation

Bridge Design Alternatives

Two Corridors for Further Study

Main Span and Navigation Clearance

1642’

800’ Channel

200’

Proposed Red Corridor Alignment

Main Span and Navigation Clearance

860’

300’ Channel

200’

Proposed Orange Corridor Alignment

Bridge Type vs. Span Length

SegmentalSegmental

TrussTruss

ArchArch

Cable StayedCable Stayed

00 1,0001,000 2,0002,000 3,0003,000 4,0004,000

Steel Box

Steel Box

SuspensionSuspension

200200 600600

200200 600600

500500 1,2001,200

500500 1,2001,200

600600 1,6001,600

1,5001,500

Span in FeetSpan in FeetSource: FHWASource: FHWA

Truss Bridges

Harbor Bridge, Corpus Christi

Trois River Bridge, Quebec

Taylor-Southgate, Cincinnati, OH

Arch Bridges

Hoan Bridge, Milwaukee, WI

Freemont Bridge, Portland, OR

Roosevelt Lake Bridge, NV

Suspension Bridges

William Preston Lane Bridge over Chesapeake Bay

Carquinez Bridge, CA

New Tacoma Narrows Bridge

Suspension Bridge Construction

Cable Stayed Bridges

Fred Hartman Bridge, Baytown, Texas

Kap Shui Mun Bridge, Hong Kong

Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, Boston, Mass.

Pomeroy-Mason Bridge, Ohio

Cable Stayed Bridge Construction

Comparative Tower Heights

404’One Shoreline Plaza

South Tower

Aesthetic Design Parameters

Bridge Location

Regional Context

Historic and Local Context

• What structures and buildings do you consider emblematic of the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge Region?

• What features of the existing Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge do you think are valuable/attractive?

• Should the new Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge stand out or blend in with the surroundings?

• Which views of the new bridge are important:

Driver’s view from bridge when crossing

The view from the shoreline

Other views

• What visual elements of the new bridge would be important to you?

Bridge Design Guidelines

What structures and buildings do you consider emblematic of the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge Region?

What features of the existing Harbor Bridge do you think are valuable/attractive or could be improved?

What features of the existing Harbor Bridge do you think are valuable/attractive or could be improved?

Should the new bridge stand out or blend in with the surroundings?

Which views of the new bridge are important: Driver’s view from new bridge when crossing? The view from the shoreline? Other views?

Harbor Bridge Replacement

A beautiful, cost-effective, community landmark

Alternative Alignments

Study Limits for Harbor Bridge Replacement

Beach St.

Morgan Ave.

Broadway St.

Nueces Bay Blvd.

IH 37

SH

286

US

181

Feasibility Study Results

• Establish need and purpose for the project

• Identify environmental constraints

• Identify corridors for further study

Two Corridors for Further Study

Factors to be Considered

• Current access

• Design criteria

• Environmental constraints

• Projected traffic

Existing SH 286 Access

Morgan

Ave.

Agn

es St.

Lared

o St.

Com

anch

e St.

Lip

an S

t.

Leop

ard S

t.

IH 37

SH 286

Proposed SH 286 Access

Morgan

Ave.

Agn

es St.

Lared

o St.

Com

anch

e St.

Lip

an S

t.

Leop

ard S

t.

IH 37

SH 286

Legend

To be removed

New to be added

Existing to remain

Proposed SH 286 Access

Morgan

Ave.

Agn

es St.

Lared

o St.

Com

anch

e St.

Lip

an S

t.

Leop

ard S

t.

IH 37

Ramps North of Morgan are removed

SH 286

Proposed SH 286 Access

Morgan

Ave.

Agn

es St.

Lared

o St.

Com

anch

e St.

Lip

an S

t.

Leop

ard S

t.

IH 37

Ramps South of Leopard are removed

SH 286

Proposed SH 286 Access

Morgan

Ave.

Agn

es St.

Lared

o St.

Com

anch

e St.

Lip

an S

t.

Leop

ard S

t.

IH 37

Southbound Brownlee shifted to new frontage road

SH 286

Proposed SH 286 Access

Morgan

Ave.

Agn

es St.

Lared

o St.

Com

anch

e St.

Lip

an S

t.

Leop

ard S

t.

IH 37

New eastbound frontage road on IH 37

SH 286

SH 286 Access

Morgan

A

ve.

Agn

es S

t.

Lared

o S

t.

Com

anch

e S

t.

Lip

an

St.

Leop

ard

St.

IH

37

SH 286

Morgan

A

ve.

Agn

es S

t.

Lared

o S

t.

Com

anc

he S

t.

Lip

an

St.

Leop

ard

St.

IH

37

SH 286

ExistingExisting

Proposed

Existing IH 37 Access N

uec

es B

ay

Blv

d.

Por

t A

ve.

Sta

ple

s S

t. US

181

Bro

wn

lee

Blv

d.

IH 37

Proposed IH 37 Access

IH 37

Nu

eces

Bay

B

lvd

.

Por

t A

ve.

Sta

ple

s S

t. US

181

Bro

wn

lee

Blv

d.

Legend

To be removed

New to be added

Existing to remain

Proposed IH 37 Access

Ramps between Nueces Bay and Port are braided

IH 37

Nu

eces

Bay

B

lvd

.

Por

t A

ve.

Sta

ple

s S

t. US

181

Bro

wn

lee

Blv

d.

Proposed IH 37 Access

Southbound Brownlee shifted to new frontage road

IH 37

Nu

eces

Bay

B

lvd

.

Por

t A

ve.

Sta

ple

s S

t. US

181

Bro

wn

lee

Blv

d.

Proposed IH 37 Access

New eastbound frontage road provided on IH 37

IH 37

Nu

eces

Bay

B

lvd

.

Por

t A

ve.

Sta

ple

s S

t. US

181

Bro

wn

lee

Blv

d.

Proposed IH 37 Access

Westbound entrance from Brownlee removed

IH 37

Nu

eces

Bay

B

lvd

.

Por

t A

ve.

Sta

ple

s S

t. US

181

Bro

wn

lee

Blv

d.

Proposed IH 37 Access

Ramps east of Brownlee removed

IH 37

Nu

eces

Bay

B

lvd

.

Por

t A

ve.

Sta

ple

s S

t. US

181

Bro

wn

lee

Blv

d.

Proposed IH 37 Access

Ramps east of Staples removed

IH 37

Nu

eces

Bay

B

lvd

.

Por

t A

ve.

Sta

ple

s S

t. US

181

Bro

wn

lee

Blv

d.

Proposed IH 37 Access

New interchange with Broadway to be determined

IH 37

Nu

eces

Bay

B

lvd

.

Por

t A

ve.

Sta

ple

s S

t. US

181

Bro

wn

lee

Blv

d.

Proposed IH 37 Access N

uec

es

Bay

Por

t

Sta

ple

s

US

18

1

IH 37

Nu

eces

B

ay

Por

t

Sta

ple

s

US

18

1

Bro

wn

lee

IH 37

Existing

Proposed

Existing US 181 Access

Causeway Blvd.

Bu

rles

on S

t.

Bea

ch A

ve.

Bre

aker

s A

ve.

US 181

To Portland

Proposed US 181 Access

US 181

Causeway Blvd.

Bu

rles

on S

t.

Bea

ch A

ve.

Bre

aker

s A

ve.

Legend

To be removed

New to be added

Existing to remain

Proposed US 181 Access

Ramps south of Burleson are removed

US 181

Causeway Blvd.

Bu

rles

on S

t.

Bea

ch A

ve.

Bre

aker

s A

ve.

Proposed US 181 Access

Ramp west of Burleson changed to on ramp

US 181

Causeway Blvd.

Bu

rles

on S

t.

Bea

ch A

ve.

Bre

aker

s A

ve.

Proposed US 181 Access

Ramps to Joe Fulton trade corridor to be determined

Joe

Fu

lton

US 181

Causeway Blvd.

Bu

rles

on S

t.

Bea

ch A

ve.

Bre

aker

s A

ve.

Proposed US 181 Access Jo

e F

ult

on

US 181

Causeway Blvd.

Bu

rles

on

St.

Bea

ch

Ave

.

Bre

aker

s A

ve.

Causeway Blvd.

Bu

rles

on

St.

Bea

ch

Ave

.

Bre

aker

s A

ve.

US 181

Existing

Proposed

Your Ideas for Harbor Bridge Replacement

Your feedback

Your input