CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — There are plans for a new beach access road between North Padre Island and Port Aransas.
It is an effort that officials said will benefit the public and especially first responders during emergency situations. The road would be off of State Highway 361, just south of Mustang Island Estates Drive.
Ratna Pottumuthu, Corpus Christi Engineering Services Assistant Director of Project Management, said it will address a need to increase beach accessibility through a long stretch of the highway.
"Right now, there is seven miles of beach that doesn't have direct access from the State Highway 361," Pottumuthu said.
A new beach access road would cost $4.4 million and designs began in 2022, according to Pottumuthu. She said that design funds came from Bond 2020 and construction funds are from Bond 2022.
Last week, Nueces County approved dune permitting for this project. Pottumuthu said that is significant since it is needed for the next steps to build the road.
Corpus Christi Fire Department Chief Brandon Wade explained that the new access road can help with response times to calls on the beach.
"The dunes create a great barrier. So, it's going to be beneficial," Wade said. "We can drive down 361 a lot faster than we can down the beach road with all of the cars and the traffic and just the conditions."
But that is not the only benefit that it could provide first responders.
"If there was a fire traveling in the dunes, right, it won't keep going," Wade explained. "It could potentially hit that roadway, and it's a great place to stop a fire when you have those breaks."
With only a few areas to access the beach for emergencies, Wade said that the new road will shave time in situations where every second counts.
"The more options that we have to go down the road quicker is just going to help us in our response, but also be beneficial for the person calling 911 and having that emergency," Wade said.
Wade added that CCFD is looking forward to the potential new beach access road. He said that he expects their emergency crews and the public to take full advantage of it when it is complete.
Construction is estimated to begin in April 2025.
