CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Beach Avenue by the Whataburger is considered one of the main arteries of North Beach, but just last week Tropical Storm Alberto left the roadway completely submerged in flood water.
It just so happened that during Tuesday's city council meeting, street improvements for Beach Avenue and one other North Beach thoroughfare went in front of city leaders.
North Beach residents said the streets need to be raised in order to help people get in and out of the area during storms. A handful of those residents showed up to council to make sure their voices were heard following last week's flooding.
Handyman Joey Lara showed 3NEWS the muddy mess left behind after water rushed into his workshop.
"12-and-a-half inches right there," he said as he used a ruler to measure the remaining water line.
His workshop sits right between Beach Avenue and Gulfspray Avenue, two streets that endured heavy flooding on North Beach.
"The drainage, the drainage is bad here," Lara said. "All the drains, it just floods completely. Fix it."
During the meeting, some residents voiced their support for the City to improve the two thoroughfares which would include stormwater infrastructure.
"In addition to making this street look better, this project needs to make the street safer," resident Carrie Robertson Meyer said.
Meyer spoke during public comment wanting to make sure the improvements discussed included raising the street.
"What if they build this beautiful street with nice sidewalks and all these other amenities but they don't elevate it higher, and it's flooded in the next tropical storm and there goes a million dollars underwater again," she said.
Beach Avenue is set to become the main entrance to welcome visitors to the tourist destination once the new Harbor Bridge is complete.
Council is considering adding the streets to the North Beach canal drainage improvement project.
The timing of the measure is impeccable for those who live there.
"Terribly underwater, trying to get out of North Beach was an absolute fiasco," said resident Barbara Johnson.
"Been there 41 years, never seen that much water," resident Juan Olivares said.
Reconstruction of Beach Avenue would go from East Causeway Blvd to the beach. The same for Gulfspray Avenue.
The project is located in Councilmember Everett Roy's district.
"Add some money to allow us to improve two streets, those streets are necessary where that linear canal starts, Dolphin Park work its way to Surfside Park, those two streets are important in terms of improving their drainage to work together to improve North Beach," Roy said.
City Manager Peter Zanoni said the funding for the reconstruction of the streets comes from 2018 bond money.
"Not only rebuilding them but elevating them especially Beach Avenue the only way onto and off of North Beach with the new bridge configuration," Zanoni said.
The streets would be done by 2025 to go along with the completion of the new Harbor Bridge.
The item one of the last on council's agenda and an amendment was passed to include the two streets.