when was the south padre island bridge built

Where is the Queen Isabella Causeway in South Padre Island?

Queen Isabella Causeway. The two-mile-long Queen Isabella Causeway, located in southern Cameron County, Texas, is the only road connecting South Padre Island, Texas to the mainland. The Causeway was opened in 1974 and replaced the previous bridge, which had also been named Queen Isabella Causeway.

What is the history of South Padre Island?

Our History South Padre Island was a beautiful, desolate place where native Karankawa Indians, migratory birds, and sea turtles were the only residents. The Island was granted to Nicolás Ballí from King Carlos III of Spain in 1759 and later passed to Ballí’s grandson, Padre José Nicolás Ballí.

How far is Brownsville from the mainland of Padre Island?

The Queen Isabella Causeway is the only road access to the mainland; it leads 2.5 miles (4.0 km) across Laguna Madre to the city of Port Isabel. Brownsville is 25 miles (40 km) southwest of South Padre Island.

What is the school district in South Padre Island?

Children living in South Padre Island are zoned to schools in Point Isabel Independent School District. Children go to Garriga Elementary School (prek-5th), Port Isabel Junior High School (6–8), and Port Isabel High School (9–12). All of the schools are in Port Isabel.

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How long did it take to rebuild the South Padre Island bridge?

The causeway was repaired in just over two months after it collapsed. It is now known as the Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway. Every year, the cities of South Padre Island and Port Isabel on the mainland alternate hosting a memorial ceremony for the lives lost.

When did South Padre Island bridge collapse?

Sept 15, 2001On Sept 15, 2001, a causeway bridge leading from Port Isabel to South Padre Island collapsed and killed eight people. Twenty years later, survivors and rescuers can talk about it for the first time.

When was the South Padre bridge built?

All the plans and dialogs began to take concrete form in the 1950's. The Queen Isabella Causeway to South Padre Island was completed in 1954, allowing easier access to the southern end of the island.

How did the SPI bridge collapse?

Early on the morning of September 15, 2001, a barge hit the Queen Isabella Causeway causing a 160-foot section of the only bridge connecting South Padre Island to the mainland to collapse. Another section fell into the Laguna Madre some twelve hours later. Eight people died.

How deep is the water in South Padre Island?

Federal project depths are 44 feet in the Brazos Santiago Pass entrance channel, thence 42 feet through the jetty channel and across Laguna Madre to the junction of the channels leading to Port Brownsville and Port Isabel, 36 feet to Port Isabel turning basin, and 42 feet from the junction to the Brownsville Turning ...

Which beach has the clearest water in Texas?

Boca Chica beachWhere is the clearest water in Texas? The beach with the clearest water in Texas is Boca Chica beach on South Padre Island.

How deep is the water under Queen Isabella Causeway?

In 2010, the controlling depths were 2.6 feet in the entrance channel, thence 3 feet in the harbor channel and in the basin.

What is the tallest bridge in Texas?

The Pecos River High Bridge is the tallest bridge in Texas. Built across the Pecos River Canyon near Langtry Texas.

Where is the longest bridge in Texas?

The longest on-system bridge fully owned by the State of Texas and spanning a body of water is the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge at South Padre Island. It is 12,510 feet long.

How many miles is South Padre Island bridge?

Designed in 1971 and constructed in 1974, the causeway connects Port Isabel to South Padre Island. It has a total length of 2.4 miles, a width of sixty-eight feet, and a top-of-deck height of seventy-eight feet above mean high tide at the center of the main span.

Did the Corpus Christi bridge collapse?

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — An event to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Queen Isabella Causeway collapse on South Padre Island was held at Memorial Park yesterday. On Sept. 15, 2001, a portion of the causeway collapsed after a barge struck a support pillar around 2 a.m.

What happened South Padre?

The Texas waterpark will take on a new name and logo. Schlitterbahn Waterpark in South Padre (Texas) has begun a transition to a new name and logo -- Beach Park at Isla Blanca. Ownership for the property will remain the same.

Why did the Queen Isabella Causeway collapse?

On Sept. 15, 2001, a portion of the causeway collapsed after a barge struck a support pillar around 2 a.m. Eleven drivers went off the bridge and into the water as a result of the collapse.

Where is the longest bridge in Texas?

The longest on-system bridge fully owned by the State of Texas and spanning a body of water is the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge at South Padre Island. It is 12,510 feet long.

Are there rattlesnakes in South Padre Island?

The Western diamondback rattlesnake calls the dunes and grasslands of Padre Island National Seashore home. The following reptiles have been documented at Padre Island National Seashore. The common and scientific names have been given for each.

Who Discovered South Padre Island?

Padre Nicolas BalliThe first permanent settlement on the island was located on the island's southern tip. This area was established around 1804 by a Spanish priest, Padre Nicolas Balli, after whom the island is named.

Where is South Padre Island?

The town is located on South Padre Island, a barrier island along the Texas Gulf Coast accessible via the Queen Isabella Causeway from the town of Port Isabel. South Padre Island is named after José Nicolás Ballí (Padre Ballí), a Catholic priest and settler.

What school district is South Padre Island in?

In addition, South Padre Island residents may apply to schools in the South Texas Independent School District.

What are the best things to do on South Padre Island?

Other favorites are horseback riding adventures on the beach and ecological tours that explore Padre Island National Seashore .

What happened to Bahia Mar Condominium?

The Bahia Mar Condominium had extensive damage and had to be gutted due to the damage. In September 2008 Hurricane Ike caused moderate damage to the island. In July 2010, the island received heavy rains from Hurricane Alex, but the storm left the island generally unscathed.

When did the NBA showcase take place in Padre Island?

In January 2011, the island hosted the NBA Development League Showcase at the South Padre Island Convention Centre .

Is South Padre Island a hot spot?

Due to the island being next to the ocean, temperatures above 100 °F (37.8 °C) are not common. Due to the fact that South Padre Island is surrounded by water, precipitation is a little higher than cities farther inland in the Rio Grande Valley. In March, the island is a popular resort area to many tourists.

When was Ocean Tower demolished?

On December 13, 2009, an unfinished 31-story condominium, known locally as Ocean Tower, was brought down by a controlled implosion. Work had begun in 2006 but construction was halted in 2008 due to uneven settlement. As the problem could not be rectified, the incomplete reinforced concrete structure was demolished.

How much did the second causeway cost in Texas?

Cost of causeway that was originally projected at $700 million will now cost only $450 million.

How much did the Texas Transportation Commission approve for the second causeway?

The commission also approved $5.1 million loan to be used towards the study and development of the Second Causeway Project.

How did the Laguna Madre bridge affect the economy?

The bridge also carried electricity lines and fresh water to the island. State officials brought in ferries to temporarily carry cars across the Laguna Madre .

Why was the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge renamed?

Two years after the reopening, the causeway was renamed the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge to honor the victims of the tragedy.

What happened to the airplane that struck the bridge?

Witnesses recalled an explosion and black smoke as the airplane struck the bridge.

When was Laguna Madre reopened?

The causeway was reopened on November 21, 2001.

When was the Queen Isabella Causeway opened?

The Causeway was opened in 1974 and replaced the previous bridge, which had also been named Queen Isabella Causeway. A central section of the original causeway has been removed and it has been renamed the Queen Isabella State Fishing Pier. The Causeway is the second-longest bridge in Texas, stretching 2.37 miles (3.81 km) across the Laguna Madre.

What happened to the swing bridge in 1966?

More than a decade later, in the early hours of June 26, 1966, a string of barges struck the swing bridge, damaging the pivot point mechanism and disrupting power and communications along the causeway. Damage was estimated at around $10,000. Temporary repairs enabled the reopening of the swing bridge within several hours and the flow of traffic to the Island continued unabated.

Why is the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge named after the Queen Isabella Causeway?

During a ceremony held on Friday, November 21, 2003, State Senator Eddie Lucio, renamed the Queen Isabella Causeway, the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge in honor of both those who died and the survivors of the tragedy. Also honored were the many men and women of various state, federal, county, city agencies and private firms whose efforts helped prevent further loss of lives and the rebuilding of the causeway in record time.

How much did it cost to build the Queen Isabella Causeway?

Billed as the longest bridge in Texas and the only roadway connecting the island to the mainland, the new Queen Isabella Causeway, which was built at a cost of $12 million, stretched 15,272 feet across the bay. Its long curving design would enable the bridge to withstand the most powerful hurricane.

How much did it cost to build the Causeway?

One million dollars to build the causeway with another $500,000 to be spent on the hotel…. (It must have been a real palace at that price. One can only wonder how much a room would cost?)

Where was the Isabel barge built?

A special steel barge, named the Isabel, constructed in Tell City, Indiana, was sent down the Mississippi River then proceeded along the Intercoastal Waterway to Port Isabel. Once here, she was outfitted with a roadway, hoists and a crew. The Isabel became a swing bridge leading to the new causeway.

When was the Queen Isabella Causeway opened?

Opening day of the first Queen Isabella Causeway in 1954. Photo provided by Steve Hathcock.

Where is the Coast Guard station on Padre Island?

The U.S. Coast Guard station on South Padre Island, less than 2 miles from the Queen Isabella Causeway.

What happened to the bridge at the peak of the causeway?

They were less than a mile away from the bridge when they saw it: a towing barge, which maneuvers other vessels, coming from the south had run into one of the pillars at the peak of the causeway. The towing barge, Brown Water V, halted and the concrete of the causeway came tumbling down, leaving a gaping hole about 160 feet wide. There was no way to warn the drivers speeding along the bridge what was waiting for them.

What did the fishermen see on the causeway in Port Isabel?

The lights that usually illuminated the road on the causeway were out, making the night nearly pitch black, except for the light of the moon reflecting on the water. All they could see were the little dots of red tail lights traveling across the bridge. “They looked like little cherries floating in the darkness,” Espericueta remembers.

How many plaintiffs were in the Brown Water Towing case?

Dozens of lawsuits were filed against the American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) and the company it hired to tow its boats, Brown Water Towing Service, for negligence. There were 17 plaintiffs in the case, including the families of the eight who died, the three survivors, and the four fishermen.

Queen Isabella Causeway

The two-and-a-half-mile-long Queen Isabella Causeway is a concrete pier-and-beam bridge, with a steel cantilever beam main span, located in southern Cameron County, Texas, and is the only road connecting South Padre Island, Texas to the mainland.

Queen Isabella Causeway

The two-and-a-half-mile-long Queen Isabella Causeway is a concrete pier-and-beam bridge, with a steel cantilever beam main span, located in southern Cameron County, Texas, and is the only road connecting South Padre Island, Texas to the mainland.

Overview

Storm damage and structure issues

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Geography

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Education

2008

• May 22, 2008 – Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority (CCRMA) Public input was sought on the project Need and Purpose November 6, 2008 – CCRMA Public input solicited on the preliminary alternative routes and the draft evaluation criteria

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