New Harbor Bridge project marks another milestone

The Texas Department of Transportation’s New Harbor Bridge Project marked another milestone today with the installation of the first pair of temporary stay cables on the channel side of the north pylon tower by project developer Flatiron/Dragados LLC.

Two additional temporary stay cables will be installed on the land side of the north pylon in the coming weeks. The temporary stay cables on the north and south pylon towers will allow bridge deck construction to progress to a point where 19 pairs of permanent stay cables can be installed in each direction on both towers.

The permanent stay cables will support the completed bridge, giving the structure its distinctive look. Ranging from 181 feet to 882 feet in length, the permanent stay cables will connect the bridge’s main span over water and the back spans over land to the 536-foot-tall pylon towers on the north and south sides of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel.

“Today’s milestone is significant for two reasons. The installation of the stay cables allows construction of the bridge deck to continue over the channel and to the approaches on land. And the new stay cables provide the public a distinct visual of the project’s progress,” said TxDOT Corpus Christi District Engineer Valente Olivarez, P.E.

Twenty-seven high-strength, epoxy-coated steel strands make up the temporary stays which pass through a black high-density polyethylene pipe. Permanent stays will be comprised of 70 to 121 high-strength, epoxy-coated steel strands passing through a larger white pipe.

Placement of the first two sets of permanent stay cables is anticipated in the coming months on the north pylon tower, followed shortly thereafter by the south pylon tower.

For more information, contact Rickey.Dailey@TxDOT.gov at 361-808-2544.