CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Texas Roads Department crews are working to open roads in Coastal Bend as soon as they can. RickD Dailey, TxDOT’s public information officer, said most of the main corridors in Corpus Christi remain closed due to frost conditions.
Crews are working on and evaluating JFK Causeway and Harbor Bridge, but Dailey doesn’t expect them to open Monday. Crews are de-icing agents on the Nueces River Bridge, on I-37 at Labonte Park and on SU-77 to Refugio to Kingsville. US-77 currently remains open, but is a mix of main lanes and front roads.
TxDOT crews spread a de-icing agent mixed with ice rock on the roads. The thawing agent helps to break the connection between the ice and the road, while the ice rock helps the traction.
First, Dailey said TxDOT crews need to make sure road conditions are safe enough for crews to travel before they can start working on them to be open to the public.
“We must first assess the road conditions to see if it is safe for our crews to get out there. At different times of the night, it just overwhelmed us and we had to take out our crews. Our dump trucks that had the defrosting agent were slipping, and this is not certain, ”he said.
Dailey said it is unclear when major roads in the area will be reopened and depends on the weather conditions. However, he said that as temperatures warm up, the ice will melt, but as it falls again, it will freeze and turn to black ice, which is dangerous.
People may see a puddle on the road and think, “Hey, it’s just wet,” when it’s really frozen. This is a very dangerous condition and that is why we continue to ask people to stay at home and not drive the vehicle today “, he said.
Outside of Corpus Christi, the road conditions are similar. Sheriffs in Aransas, Bee, Duval, Kenedy, Kleberg, Refugio and San Patricio counties report varying degrees of icy roads. The counties of Live Oak, Refugio and San Patricio had reports of accidents involving sheriffs.
In Aransas County, there have not been many calls for accidents at the sheriff’s office, but Sheriff Bill Mills has urged caution in area drivers.
“Depending on where you are, you see more of them visible, it is almost constant everywhere. It is so tight that if you travel over it as you approach intersections, be prepared to stop if you travel well over 20 [miles per hour] you will slip through some intersections. We ask everyone to use their best judgment and, if they don’t have to come out, please don’t come out “, he said.
Aransas County Sheriff’s Office
The Dale Miller Bridge in Aransas Pass remains open Monday afternoon, as does the Port Aransas Ferry. Sheriff Mills said the road to Lamar remains frozen but acceptable, and he is trying to stop the road from closing so as not to isolate people in the north.
Sheriff Mills reported power outages in the area and said there are open shelters in the county; at local fire stations and even at some churches in Fulton and said his crews transported people to shelters who could not stay in their homes because of the cold.
Dailey wants people to know that TxDOT is working hard to make roads in the area open and safe for travelers as fast as they can.
“The public needs to know that it is still difficult to open these roads, even after the ice and rain have stopped falling and freezing. We will do our best and continue to do our best. We work 24 hours, we work in shifts of 12 hours, non-stop “, he said.
Bee County Sheriff’s Office
Both Dailey and Sheriff Mills want people to stay off the road, unless absolutely necessary, while conditions remain as they are.
“Please stay at home, do not drive unless absolutely necessary. Driving conditions are difficult and we want to see everyone safe, ”said Dailey.
“We are not used to driving in these conditions. There is a saying I have used for a long time: either you are part of the solution or you are part of the problem. If you do not have to go out, you will venture to a part of the problem area. We would ask everyone to stay where they are, as long as they can resist, “said Sheriff Mills.
For the most up-to-date information on road conditions and closures, see the TxDOT road conditions map. TxDOT also has traffic cameras available to view road conditions, although some may not be operational due to cold weather.