http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=1142834#.VL_-GNKacSV

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It's been in the works for six years now, and Cameron County leaders are celebrating a big step forward in the construction of the second causeway to South Padre Island.
Cameron County administrator Pete Sepulveda calls it a major milestone.
The required final study on how construction of the second causeway will impact the environment has been submitted to federal authorities for review.
Sepulveda said the environmental impact study has been in the works since 2012.
The second causeway would span 8 miles over the Laguna Madre, starting at the intersection of Farm to Market (FM) 510 and Buena Vista boulevard.
The plans are designed to have the most minimal impact to the wildlife and vegetation around the Laguna Madre, and Sepulveda said the county will also add more seagrass to those areas impacted by construction.
It's up to the federal highway administration and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to authorize the project.
Sepulveda says the 700 million dollar project has been getting a lot of support from the State of Texas.
Once the plan is approved, the county will seek bids to select a developer.
They hope to begin construction by the summer of 2017 and have it finished three years later.

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there goes the back way to the island

The back way is gone but at least you won't have to drive through Mexico north in Laguna vista and port Isabel. Might go back to being like it was a long time ago when there was only 1 light on the way to the island.

Hopefully won't screw up fishing.

So has it received environmental clearance yet?

Shouldn't you of all people be able to check on something like that?

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Shouldn't you of all people be able to check on something like that?

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I can look it up and find out but was hoping someone knew of the top of their head.

How about you use your powers for good and find out for the rest of us plebes

The second access will consist of three major components; the mainland roadway, the Laguna Madre crossing bridge, and the island roadway. The route under consideration includes a four-lane road crossing across Laguna Madre with about 8 miles of tolled lanes. The total length of the second access will be about 17.6 miles. At the moment, the final environmental clearance is estimated to be approved by Fall of 2015 by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Upon approval of the environmental clearance, construction can be expected to commence in 2017 or 2018. For more information concerning this project, please contact us.

FM 1925, otherwise known as Monte Christo Road in Edinburg, is slated to be expanded in order to provide a vital east-west corridor in the northern part of the Valley. The highway would link Hidalgo County I-69 East, and provide quicker access to the northern part of South Padre Island.
CCRMA is taking the lead on the project, according to Sepulveda.

"We have an agreement in place in that the Cameron County RMA is going to develop it even though part of the project is in Hidalgo," Sepulveda said. "We are going to develop it to ensure we stay within the same schedule and timeline."

Sepulveda spoke exclusively to the Rio Grande Guardian at a recent North American Advanced Manufacturing Research and Educational Initiative regional summit held at TSTC-Harlingen.

Sepulveda said CCRMA wants to make sure that FM 1925 is built concurrently with its two other main projects; a second causeway into South Padre Island, and the Outer Parkway project, which is the 15 mile span of road that will begin north of Harlingen, and connect I69-East to the entrance of the new causeway.

Completion for the new causeway is set for April 2020, according to Sepulveda. If the current timeline they have in place holds, the CCRMA can begin the procurement process to select a developer by June of this year.

The latest (from last week):

http://riograndeguardian.com/transportation-officials-planning-a-bike-lane-for-spi-causeway/

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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, RGV Pete Sepulveda, Jr., executive director of the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority, says it is "extremely doable" to build a dedicated bike lane on the South Padre Island Causeway.
Speaking to SPI economic development leaders on Tuesday, Sepulveda said he will make the case for such a project at CCRMA's July board meeting. He pointed out that there was a lot of support for a bike lane to be built on the planned second causeway to SPI.
"We had a lot of bicyclists attend the (July, 2012, public) hearing and they requested a bike lane on the second access. We looked at that. It was cost-prohibitive. But, at our July board meeting I will present the board of directors with an option," Sepulveda said.
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"We have got a very, very, rough, preliminary study for adding a bike lane on the existing causeway. Based on the cost estimates I have been given I believe it is something that is extremely reasonable, extremely doable, and as soon as I present that to the board and get the authority to move forward I will get with TxDOT and hopefully start tapping into some of the category funding that is available for hike and bike trails statewide."
Sepulveda said as he was studying the idea of a bike lane for the causeway he got an email from Congressman Vela's staff wanting to talk about potential funding for hike and bike trails. "They might be able to tap into some funds at the federal level for us as well. So, we will definitely pursue that. I have three different schematics that have been presented by our consultant so we will be presenting those to the board in July."
Much of Sepulveda's presentation at the SPI EDC meeting was focused on the construction of a second causeway for SPI. He said CCRMA is "very, very, close to getting environmental clearance" for the much anticipated project. "Everything looks extremely good right now. We have done traffic revenue studies. We have looked at other projects that will be part of the ultimate configuration," Sepulveda said of the project. He pointed out that in July, 2012, the Texas Department of Transportation held a public hearing about the project at the SPI Convention Center. "It was one of the most successful public hearings TxDOT has had statewide, 800 people attended." Of those that gave verbal or written comments, "83 percent were in favor," Sepulveda said.
Sepulveda said there are two other highway projects that will be built simultaneously with the second causeway. When all three are built residents living in the Edinburg, Mission, McAllen and Pharr area will have easy access to South Padre Island, he said.

"We have got two other projects that will complete the ultimate configuration. We are working on the Outer Parkway project which will connect I-69 E to the second access and then from I-69 E west on FM 1925 we want to connect all the way to Edinburg. All three projects are independent, they are three separate projects but the timing and scheduling of all three is pretty much the same. And so we plan to have 1925 and the outer parkway and the second access in place and so that will give an individual connectivity from Edinburg, Pharr, McAllen, Mission area all the way to South Padre Island," Sepulveda explained.
Sepulveda pointed out that multiple times, the Federal Highway Authority has said that the second causeway project is the most environmentally complex project they are working on in the whole nation. "We have got different experts working on different mitigation plans. It is all coming together," he said.
With regard to the environmental impact statement for the second causeway, CCRMA submitted the final environmental impact study back in December. "Since then, on a weekly basis we have conference calls with the Department of Transportation in Austin and the Federal Highway Administration. We have coordinated with the cooperating agencies. We have completed some of the analysis they have requested," Sepulveda said.
Among the things CCRMA are working on are biological surveys, a seagrass mitigation plan, a revenue study and a draft financial plan. A schematic design is 90 percent complete. "Hopefully in the next 25 to 60 days the schematics will be 100 percent complete," Sepulveda said.
Sepulveda then highlighted the speed at which things were moving. He said environmental clearance from the Federal Highway Administration for a second causeway could come any time between November, 2015, and March, 2016. Simultaneously, he said the CCRMA will be working with TxDOT to plan how the second causeway will be constructed. "They (FHA) will be the agency giving the environmental approval. Congressman Vela has been extremely helpful in the process. We are working with TxDOT right now on how to proceed. By state law we have the ability to enter into a public-private partnership with a private developer. We are negotiating a schedule with TxDOT right now on when they can turn us loose to begin the procurement process. I venture to say it will be sometime this fall, maybe as early as September, a couple of months away."
To the lay person discussion of and planning for a second causeway for South Padre Island might seem to have been going on forever. However, Sepulveda said in the grand scheme of things, it has not been that long. "It has taken a long time but when you look at the time frame for an environmental impact study we are probably 24 to 30 months ahead of the normal schedule that it would take. It has taken a lot of cooperation by a lot of different agencies."
Sepulveda said it is a big help that the leadership and direction of CCRMA has been steady for a number of years. "We have had a lot of continuity at our board level. We have had the same board chairman for 11 years and the same board members for four and half years now. That continuity really, really, helps us." He also praised TxDOT and the Federal Highway Authority for investing "a lot of resources" into the project. "It is really, really, looking good. It might be a good idea to come back in about 60 days because everything is coming together pretty quickly. September is when we are aiming to start the procurement process."
Sepulveda concluded his remarks by focusing on the value of CCRMA's transportation reinvestment zone system. "We probably have the largest transportation reinvestment zone in the whole state of Texas. When we did the analysis about three years ago the net present value of our TRZ system was $400 million. We had a consultant develop an update. It is now valued at $500 million. This gives us an excellent funding tool for us to use, not only on this project but the entire system of projects that we are working on. It has been a lot of time, a lot of work, but it is all coming together now, pretty fast."

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I understand the necessity of the second causeway. As a resident of Laguna Vista and avid outdoorsman in the area, it is my professional opinion that the second causeway will be the final nail in the coffin of the wild ocelot.

How many have died on HWY 100?

The amount of wildlife on 510 is greater.

That being said Hidalgo thinks they are part of the project. Lol.

Ever since Space X declared, Hidalgo likes to jump on the bandwagon.

What will Monte Christo/1925 dovetail into when it gets east to LaVilla, specifically at Carlson's Corner? It's not going to follow the route of 491 North is it? Will it go south to 107 and into Santa Rosa to hook up with 508 @ Combes and on to Rio Hondo or will it jump straight across and tie into Orphanage Road, which isn't much of a road? I've always heard that someday Orphanage will be developed and extended east across what we call 'La Inida' farm to hook back down and connect to the Paso Real junction @ 508.

Thanks for all the great info. I have been wondering what was going on with the second bridge and it appears that it is much further along than I had thought. I can remember driving to SPI when I was in high school in the 50s before the expressway down the valley. From Edinburg you had to drive down through EE, Santa Rosa to get there. Yep I am really old! :-)

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Thanks for all the great info. I have been wondering what was going on with the second bridge and it appears that it is much further along than I had thought.

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I think it's worth noting that in those back to back updates they pushed the expected procurement date back from June to September.

Bump...Any News?

Outer Parkway map from early March presentation with potential route changes:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1RnqRLFkRdVVFhtWFBNOTMxOU0/view?pref=2&pli=1

And the CCRMA website has good info, too.

http://www.ccrma.org/

Thanks Carl's Hat.


I can't wait for the new causeway. If I can help it, I will never again drive through laguna heights or Port Isabell again. Maybe for day trips like we used to go to Matamoros for shopping and sightseeing but get the hell out as soon as possible.

A good fire through laguna heights would help out a lot.

http://riograndeguardian.com/sepulveda-south-padre-islands-2nd-causeway-could-be-built-by-2020/

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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, RGV On the eve of an important meeting about the 2nd Access Project, Cameron County Judge Pete Sepulveda, Jr., says a second causeway to South Padre Island could be built by 2020 or 2021.

Asked what the best case scenario is, Sepulveda told the Rio Grande Guardian: "We could have the second causeway built by 2020-2021. It is not a long time when you look at the amount of work and the level of effort that needs to be put into it. But, we have been very aggressive and we are going to continue to be aggressive. Once we get the environmental clearance the other phases of the project we can pretty much accelerate. We are really focused right now on getting that environmental clearance."

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Sepulveda said completion of an environmental clearance document is anticipated in the fall of 2016.

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So the environmental clearance has been pushed back from Nov 2015/March 2016 to fall of 2016 now.

And I wonder how soon construction can begin once they get that clearance.

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Fri, 05/06/2016 - 08:41
Author:
SPIEDC Admin
The Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority (CCRMA) held an Industry Outreach Meeting on March 1, 2016, in South Padre Island. As discussed during the outreach meeting, the CCRMA desired to schedule confidential one-on-one meetings with developers in order to receive more detailed feedback on the overall proposed project delivery and future procurement process.

A number of confidential one-on-one meetings were held in March and April in which CCRMA received valuable feedback that will be evaluated over the next couple of months in order to determine the next steps toward the development of the project.

The anticipated Record of Decision date has been adjusted to summer of 2017. The CCRMA continues to move forward in working with all environmental stakeholders in responses to draft comments on Final Environmental Impact Statement and the Biological Assessment. Permits are being acquired for the initiation of the sea grass pilot study expected to begin within the next few months.

The CCRMA would like to thank all who attended the Outreach Meeting and confidential one-on-one meetings and looks forward to future communication as the project progresses.

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http://southpadreislandedc.com/notice-ccrma-spi-project

Any news on progress? I suppose this will continue to be a project for "Next year"?

Sepulveda: We're getting close to environmental clearance for second SPI causeway

June 2017

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"That is huge project. We are deep into the environmental process. We really believe that in the next 18 to 24 months we will get the environmental clearance and move forward to the construction of that project," Sepulveda said.
Because of the size of the project, and the fact that a second causeway would go over the environmentally sensitive Laguna Madre, a more "complex environmental document than normal" is required, Sepulveda acknowledged.
"The environmental phase on this project alone is about ten years. We have been at it for about eight years. So, we are at the tail end. We have submitted the final draft document to the Federal Highway Administration. We are working on some amendments that are needed to address different changes we are pursuing," Sepulveda explained. "This is an exercise the Federal Highway Administration requires on projects, I believe, over $25 million."

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May 2017 update:

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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND A second causeway to South Padre Island in the works will now cost much less than what planners expected.

The $700 million project will now cost only $450 million.

Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority executive director Pete Sepulveda said they started a phase of the bridge development called value engineering.

He said they had to review two things: the environmental impact of the bridge and the original design.
He said the change in costs came from rethinking the original design.

"You bring in individuals that have not been involved in the project; they're not familiar with the project, fresh minds. They come in, they look at the schematics, they look at aerials, they look at the alignment and they make recommendations," he said.

The second causeway is planned to be 8 miles long and will run over the Laguna Madre.
Sepulveda said the original causeway design will now be broken into two smaller causeways that run about 50 feet apart.

He said that design turns out to be much cheaper and lowers the environmental impact, which has been a major hurdle to the development process.

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April 2017 update:

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CAMERON COUNTY, TX - We now have more information on the second access project coming to South Padre Island.
The Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority (CCRMA) has been working on a second causeway on the northern end of the island since 2008.
The project is still undergoing environmental clearance from regulatory agencies.
This is a phase the CCRMA has no control over. CCRMA Executive Director Pete Sepulveda expects that clearance somewhere in the next 12 to 15 months.
If funding is available, the construction may be begin as early as the next 18 months.

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PJYoung said:

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So the environmental clearance has been pushed back from Nov 2015/March 2016 to fall of 2016 now.

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To the summer of 2019. Pete loves to throw out time frames.

2015:

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They hope to begin construction by the summer of 2017 and have it finished three years later.

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2017:

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"The environmental phase on this project alone is about ten years. We have been at it for about eight years. So, we are at the tail end.

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No need for that causeway, it is nuts to think about it on a per car basis. I would be aghast if we actually saw a second causeway in the next 25 years and in particular the one they want to build currently. Just doesn't make sense.

They need one on Saturday nights in the summer. That's about it.

RGV AG said:

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No need for that causeway, it is nuts to think about it on a per car basis. I would be aghast if we actually saw a second causeway in the next 25 years and in particular the one they want to build currently. Just doesn't make sense.

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There's a small group of 3-4 families that want to increase North Island (vacant undeveloped) land values.
That's about the extent of it.

There's about 15 days/year that the causeway gets backed up for about 2-3 hrs. outbound from spi

Port Isabel traffic control inbound has improved dramatically in the past few years and most of that traffic is local "day trip" and wouldn't necessarily use a new bridge that connected into Rio Hondo/Combes

Just My Opinion

SPI-FlatsCatter 84 said:

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RGV AG said:

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No need for that causeway, it is nuts to think about it on a per car basis. I would be aghast if we actually saw a second causeway in the next 25 years and in particular the one they want to build currently. Just doesn't make sense.

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There's a small group of 3-4 families that want to increase North Island (vacant undeveloped) land values.
That's about the extent of it.

There's about 15 days/year that the causeway gets backed up for about 2-3 hrs. outbound from spi

Port Isabel traffic control inbound has improved dramatically in the past few years and most of that traffic is local "day trip" and wouldn't necessarily use a new bridge that connected into Rio Hondo/Combes

Just My Opinion

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Absolutely right, and don't forget the run up of the property of the Holly Beach albatross that has sat there without any development for like 50 years after it was subdivided.

The perception of milking the government like the 90's and 00's is still very strong in lots of public servants. The true cost of these large infrastructure type deals is lost on a lot of politicians. An extension or loop of 48 across the Brownsville Ship Channel jetties would make much more sense for alleviating big traffic and would also develop Boca Chica, which makes much more sense than some 6 plus mile causeway boondoggle. When one follows something like this one realizes why the RGV is just a few paved roads, a few traffic lights, and fleets of school buses ahead of the true third world.

Not exactly tied to the bridge but another tollway project in the valley:

I saw that last week and looking at it I can't help but wonder what is the big benefit of doing this? Is this to keep traffic, mainly commercial, from the Azalduas Bridge out of the metro areas while the trucks go to Pharr or vice versa?

The RGV needs lots or East-West help and also probably access to both major North-South highways from other locations besides the main two. In 3-5 years the traffic in the RGV is going to be spectacular unless some serious action is put into it.