Xing Corpus Christi Bay Bridge
12-23-15, 11:29 AM
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Xing Corpus Christi Bay Bridge
I been playing around with possible 2016 tour ideas. Question: how does a cyclist cross the Corpus Christi Bay Bridge?
>You used to be able to take a 'scenic' detour down Navigation and cross on the old lift bridge...but they tore the lift bridge down. Funny how we can't afford to maintain the infrastructure we once built.
>It seems to be against city ordinance to actually ride across the bridge. This option isn't terribly appealing anyway - no shoulders & motor vehicle traffic moving at 50+mph relative speed. Fun fact: the current bridge was designed during a 'bike bust' period almost exactly between the American bicycle booms of the late 1930s and early 1970s.
>The pedestrian walkways seem to be open only for special events due to security concerns. From pictures, the walkways don't appear to be much wider than panniers, so it looks like that would be kind of a slow, awkward squeeze, anyway.
>The new bridge is ~supposed~ to have pedestrian and cyclist accommodation. It's scheduled to be complete in 2020. I've always thought Corpus was cool, but I really didn't want to hang around that long.
>Corpus seems to have cracked down on Uber and Lyft. The city has normal, regulated taxi service.
>A cyclist can latch their bike onto the rack of a #76 or #78 city bus. It'd be a bit of a pain to strip all one's touring dunnage off the bike and schlep it aboard the bus, but ultimately no step for a stepper, right?
Have I missed any options short of a 45 mile detour? Water taxi? Gondola? Zip line?
Thanks!
>You used to be able to take a 'scenic' detour down Navigation and cross on the old lift bridge...but they tore the lift bridge down. Funny how we can't afford to maintain the infrastructure we once built.
>It seems to be against city ordinance to actually ride across the bridge. This option isn't terribly appealing anyway - no shoulders & motor vehicle traffic moving at 50+mph relative speed. Fun fact: the current bridge was designed during a 'bike bust' period almost exactly between the American bicycle booms of the late 1930s and early 1970s.
>The pedestrian walkways seem to be open only for special events due to security concerns. From pictures, the walkways don't appear to be much wider than panniers, so it looks like that would be kind of a slow, awkward squeeze, anyway.
>The new bridge is ~supposed~ to have pedestrian and cyclist accommodation. It's scheduled to be complete in 2020. I've always thought Corpus was cool, but I really didn't want to hang around that long.
>Corpus seems to have cracked down on Uber and Lyft. The city has normal, regulated taxi service.
>A cyclist can latch their bike onto the rack of a #76 or #78 city bus. It'd be a bit of a pain to strip all one's touring dunnage off the bike and schlep it aboard the bus, but ultimately no step for a stepper, right?
Have I missed any options short of a 45 mile detour? Water taxi? Gondola? Zip line?
Thanks!
05-21-20, 03:24 PM
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Aaaaaand the new bridge will not be finished in 2020.
IIRC there was a water taxi across the harbor mouth one summer. Discontinued due to budget? lack of users?
Apparently an intrepid cyclist took the lane and rode the old bridge.
I understand authorities were not amused.
The tourist board tells me the post 9-11 panic has faded with time and the narrow, trashy walkways on the old bridge are in fact open.
Work on the new bridge continues.
But, and it's a big but, the design firm for the new harbor spanning cable-stay bridge (longest in the US!) kinda had another bridge they designed, well, the technical term is 'collapse'. TexDOT was not amused.
Anyway, when (if) it gets built, it's gonna be *****in': bay side, 205 feet above the water, main span 1661' long, great views, barrier separated from motor vehicle traffic.
Latest: maybe 2023.
IIRC there was a water taxi across the harbor mouth one summer. Discontinued due to budget? lack of users?
Apparently an intrepid cyclist took the lane and rode the old bridge.
I understand authorities were not amused.
The tourist board tells me the post 9-11 panic has faded with time and the narrow, trashy walkways on the old bridge are in fact open.
Work on the new bridge continues.
But, and it's a big but, the design firm for the new harbor spanning cable-stay bridge (longest in the US!) kinda had another bridge they designed, well, the technical term is 'collapse'. TexDOT was not amused.
Anyway, when (if) it gets built, it's gonna be *****in': bay side, 205 feet above the water, main span 1661' long, great views, barrier separated from motor vehicle traffic.
Latest: maybe 2023.
Last edited by tcs; 05-24-20 at 10:53 AM.
08-14-20, 12:43 PM
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I remember riding over the bridge on my bike while I was still in high school. The pedestrian walkway wasn't too narrow for my early 90s mountain bike.
08-22-20, 10:31 AM
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Great fishing under that bridge.
08-23-20, 08:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Hondo Gravel
Great fishing under that bridge.
