CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Just one day after a traffic signal light crashed down on two cars at the intersection of Alameda Drive and Everhart Road, city crews returned to the site Monday to survey the area and check each signal-light unit for stability.
Corpus Christi Councilman Mike Pusley tells 3NEWS that strong winds are partially to blame for the incident, though it didn’t help that those winds had found a weak point in pole that supports the light system.
“It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea for our major intersections to receive an inspection once in a while,” Pusley said.
As it turns out, many of Corpus Christi’s signal lights need to be inspected – but that’s not happening right now.
“There hasn’t been a program for traffic signals when it comes to maintaining them, inspecting them,” said Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo.
Guajardo said that the city will get Director of Public Works Ernesto De La Garza to create a traffic-signal inspection program, complete with allocated funding, in the next fiscal year’s budget.
While the planning of that program is underway, drivers along the intersection of Baldwin and Staples can expect all-new signal lights as soon as this year, as they are all about to be replaced.
However, it may not exactly be comforting to see the temporary signal lights swaying in the wind after what happened at Alameda and Everhart.