NUECES COUNTY, Texas — Nueces County and the City of Corpus Christi will temporarily restrict vehicular access to the bay and gulf beaches within Nueces for the July 4 holiday weekend. Also on that list is the National Seashore and Kleberg County beaches.
Barriers and gates with signs indicating that beach access is restricted will be up in a matter of days as the order will be enforced all up and down the Coastal Bend. The order was signed by Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales and her counterpart in Kleberg.
The order signed by Kleberg County Judge Rudy Madrid closes off all traffic to the south. County leaders are taking this drastic measure just days of what would normally be one of the busiest holiday weekends of the year.
"We want folks to spend time with their families, but we want them to be safe at the end of the day," Judge Madrid said. "We're doing this for the best interest of the community. We've got to look out for the health and well being of every citizen in the entire state of Texas not only Nueces and Kleberg County."
The Padre Island National Seashore, which has never allowed traffic, will be closed to all visitors beginning at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 2 until 6 a.m. Tuesday, July 7. Access to all park beaches and overnight beach camping will resume at that time.
The Malaquite Visitor Center, campground, and Bird Island Basin campground will remain closed until further notice. For our other beaches, the temporary restriction of vehicular access will begin on Friday, July 3 at 6 a.m. and will end on Tuesday, July 7 at 6 a.m. The vehicular restrictions include golf carts and all-terrain vehicles.
Residents and visitors can walk along the beach during non-curfew hours, but are encouraged to continue to maintain six-foot distancing.
Sandy Jumper is Vice President of the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce; she said while they are open for business, they want to make sure everyone knows they're asking everyone to take precautions.
"Our beach is open, our boat ramps and piers are open," Jumper said. "You can walk, run, bike on the beach. They do ask that you adhere to all guidelines, stay within your family unit and keep it six feet apart."
What differentiates Rockport from other Coastal Bend beaches is driving has never been allowed on beaches and the area attracts mostly families and not the big party scenes.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
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