Construction wrapped on Park Road 22 bridge
A long-awaited bridge on North Padre Island’s Park Road 22 is officially open.
Following three years of work, the bridge – featuring two spans, one northbound and one southbound – was opened in a dedication ceremony held Friday.
Located between Whitecap Boulevard and Commodores Drive, construction of the bridge and required replacement of a wastewater lift station rang in at about $22 million, according to city officials.
The cost was covered by a combination of voter-approved bond allocations, revenue from the island’s tax increment reinvestment zone and the utility capital improvement plan, documents show.
The bridge’s signature profile includes three concrete arches – the largest at the center measuring about 46 feet across, city officials said at the dedication. The event was also later broadcast on social media.
The largest of the arches is intended to give boat access between the network of canals on the eastern side and the waters of Lake Padre on the western side.
Meanwhile, the arches on each side of it – at about 36 feet wide – will accommodate pedestrian traffic, city officials said.
Don Patricio Bridge is “vital to Padre Island’s geography,” and is expected to improve mobility and commerce, said City Manager Peter Zanoni on Friday.
Future planned additions include what city officials described as a pedestrian-friendly boardwalk, an effort being coordinated with two developers working on two major mixed-use island projects.
One is centered around Lake Padre, and the other at The Whitecap Preserve, located on the former Schlitterbahn property.
While the city funded the bridge, the developers paid for the canal work that now runs beneath it.
It’s anticipated the new infrastructure will support additional growth on North Padre Island.
“On both sides of the canal… in about 10 years, we expect about $2 billion in investment,” Zanoni said.
The bridge is named as tribute to Patrick F. Dunn, among the first settlers of North Padre Island and who could be considered a local legend.
The cattle rancher was known also as “Don Patricio” and the “Duke of Padre Island.”
Greg Smith – a former Corpus Christi city councilman and local history buff – spoke at the ceremony Friday, in part because he is the great-grandson of Dunn.
The bridge’s function in facilitating water exchange is important, Smith said, bringing “clean, oxygenated Gulf water into those canals.”
There’s also recreational value, he added.
“We’re taking this island into the 21st century with it,” Smith said. “We’ll have golf carts under that bridge, people will be jogging, walking, kayaking, paddleboarding and everything else. We’re going to be the star of the coast.”
Don Patricio Bridge is “designed not just for today’s needs, but for the future of this city,” said Mayor Paulette Guajardo. “This bridge is not just a connection between two points,” she said. “It’s a bridge to our future, it is a symbol of commitment to progress and a tribute to the enduring legacy of Patrick F. Dunn.”
More: Here's what the new Park Road 22 Bridge may be named
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Park Road 22 bridge on Padre Island now completed and open
