US 181 Harbor Bridge

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The new US 181 Harbor Bridge will replace the existing Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge connecting downtown Corpus Christi to Rincon Point (North Beach) across the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. The replacement bridge will be on a new location alignment approximately 1,200 feet to the west. The Corpus Christi Ship Channel serves the Port of Corpus Christi, and the new bridge will permit larger (post-Panamax) ships to pass beneath, with a 205-foot clearance compared to the existing 138 feet. The project includes reconstruction of portions of US 181, I-37 and the Crosstown Expressway (SH 286), including a new interchange at I-37 and the Crosstown Expressway in downtown Corpus Christi that will realign how the bridge connects to these freeway corridors to the south and eliminate existing design deficiencies. The bridge includes six-lane sections of US 181, three lanes in each direction with a median, barrier, shoulders, and a bicycle and pedestrian shared-use path. Additionally, the project includes the reconstruction of approximately 1.6 miles of I-37, reconstruction of approximately one mile of the Crosstown Expressway and demolition of the existing Harbor Bridge. In total, the project includes the development, design, construction and maintenance of 6.44 miles of bridge and connecting roadway, and demolition of the existing Harbor Bridge. A design-build contract with a 25-year maintenance (O&M) agreement is being used to deliver the $1 billion project using a combination of federal, state, and local funds raised from Transportation Reinvestment Zones (TRZ), a form of tax increment financing.

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