CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Work is planned this week to create safety enhancements near one of the Harbor Bridge's southbound exits.
The changes are coming to the intersection of Twigg Street and Mesquite Street. It comes as part of the Texas Department of Transportation's continued efforts to prevent wrong-way drivers at southbound exits off the bridge.
"This will deter drivers from coming up Twigg Street onto the exit the wrong way and it will deter drivers who are headed southbound on Mesquite from making a right turn onto Twigg," said Rickey Dailey, TxDOT Corpus Christi District public information officer.
Dailey said the Twigg Street and Mesquite Street intersection will be reconfigured starting at 9 p.m. on Tuesday. A new traffic pattern is expected by 6 a.m. on Wednesday and all work is weather permitting. This is the latest effort by TxDOT to prevent wrong-way drivers, including closing other exits in the area.
He said DPS having an officer stationed at the Twigg Street exit also helps.
"Enforcement is a huge, is a huge part of any of our efforts. TxDOT can't do it alone and we appreciate DPS," Dailey said.
Drivers can expect changes as of Wednesday morning.
If they are coming off the Twigg Street exit, water barriers extending across the intersection will force drivers to turn right on Mesquite Street. If they are driving southbound on Mesquite Street, it will change from two lanes to one and expand back to two after the intersection. Dailey explained what it will look like if they're driving the wrong way.
"The drivers headed the wrong way on Twigg will see a barrier in front of them and the drivers trying to make a right turn from Mesquite onto Twigg will be blocked by a barrier," Dailey said.
The Twigg Street exit will be restriped, so drivers have a better angle for the sharp turn. Dailey said drivers are asked to slow down to 15 m.p.h. as they come off the exit and 5 m.p.h. when turning at the intersection. He said TxDOT wants to enhance safety in Downtown Corpus Christi as activity increases.
"There's a lot more going on," Dailey said. "People are moving down there, there's businesses opening. So, we're just trying to enhance safety down there. Especially during the night."
As work is done Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, there is a detour for drivers heading southbound on U.S. Highway 181. Dailey said they can continue onto Interstate 37 down to the Nueces Bay Boulevard exit.
From there, they can use the turnaround and come back on I-37 in the opposite direction to get to Downtown Corpus Christi.