Paul Iverson/Caller-Times file Work will begin on several streets this year to improve sidewalks, road quality and — after a year of torrential rains — drainage.

Help is on the way for shaken, flooded motorists

City is preparing for street, drainage improvements

February 1, 2003
By Lee Goddard
Caller-Times

Potholes, dangerous intersections and flooded streets seemed to motivate Corpus Christi voters in the 2000 elections.

A bond initiative was passed with 73 percent of voters in favor of a plan that would pave the way for better streets.

Now, along with other projects that the Texas Department of Transportation has planned and started, those voters and others should soon be experiencing the benefits of bond money at work.

Mark Scott the councilman who represents District 4, said a flurry of street improvements and proposed street upgrades will begin to take effect this year. The quality of roads will be improved, sidewalks will be made accessible in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act and, after a year in which torrential rains left some roads damaged from flooding, drainage will be improved.

"We initiated a stormwater master plan process over a year ago," Scott said. "It included analyzing future drainage ditches as well as LOPs (levels of protection) for the future. That was the first step."

May get under way soon
Scott said that the council has been working recently to determine the levels of protection - basically the amount of water or flooding the system can handle - for various streets, and that in turn would mean that the city might get the road revitalization under way this summer.

The improvements could be a big boost to the city’s real-estate market and benefit the city’s overall image.

Among the improvements will be 10 new signalized intersections and 10 upgraded intersections, as well as the resurfacing of some streets and improvements to others. Joe Adame, the president of Joe Adame and Associates, a full-service real-estate company, said that street improvements could result in an upswing in business.

"Anytime you improve the infrastructure of the utility and roads, it adds to the value of the property," Adame said. "If a city continues to improve its existing infrastructure, outside investors might feel better about investing in a community that does that. It’s very healthy for outside investment."

Indirect improvement
With other improvements, such as the remodeling and renovation at the airport, better streets help Corpus Christi put on a better face for prospective business clients, tourists and the all-important Winter Texan market.

"Does it bring new business to town?" Scott asked. "Not directly. But if you’re showing a prospect around the city and they’re bouncing all over the street, does it affect them relocating? Probably. Every little bit helps."

While local neighborhood roads such as Lyons and streets like Cliff Maus Road are some of the beneficiaries of the bond issue, other construction by the state highway department could also have an effect on improving the roads.

TxDOT is estimating that the eastbound lanes on the JFK Causeway will be open this summer. The Crosstown project is roughly 37 percent complete, with the first part of the project essentially over. The Harbor Bridge Project is still in the feasibility and planning stages. The relief project for State Highway 35 is nearing completion, with the summer of 2004 as the projected end.

Though the improvements may help lure investors, will it directly help those that live in the area now? After the misadventures of many people during the floods of 2002, any drainage upgrades would help, some residents said.

Luis R. Corona had a typical experience in Corpus Christi during the flooding last October. He, his family and friends were caught in a fierce downpour while driving through town. Corona had to slowly make his way around the city, moving cautiously from one detoured street to the next. That elongated trip made Corona hope the changes to the drainage system would soon be coming.

Better drainage desired
"We have to do something," Corona said. "It’s very critical. Downtown could lose all its businesses if this keeps going on. I’m very worried about South Padre Island Drive, all the traffic is moving slowly down there every time it gets flooded."

There should be no major concerns that emergency services will be troubled by the construction that looms on the horizon. Fire chief J.J. Adame said the improvements could instead be beneficial as far as emergency response times go.

"We keep track of road construction and can determine alternate routes," Adame said. "If it’s a house fire, or something like that, we have units coming from different directions.

"When the street repairs are complete and in place," he added, "it’s an asset. The streets will be in better shape from a response standpoint, and storm drainage water gets off the roads quicker and is better for response time."

Contact Lee Goddard at 886-3613 or goddardl@caller.com