CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) announces that the developer of the New Harbor Bridge Replacement Project, Flatiron/Dragados, LLC (FDLLC), has selected Arup-CFC as the new engineering design firm to oversee design work on the main spans of the New Harbor Bridge. Arup-CFC will lead a team of experts responsible for reviewing, recertifying, and completing the design of the New Harbor Bridge .

TxDOT last year suspended design work on the bridge, dismissing then-designer FIGG Bridge Engineers Inc., following a National Transportation Safety Board report.

“As safety is TxDOT’s top priority, we have committed to the public that we will take all steps necessary to ensure and verify that the highest safety standards are met on this project," said Bill Hale, TxDOT’s Chief Engineer. "TxDOT looks forward to the future completion of this landmark project, which will be a success for Coastal Bend residents and the State of Texas."

Both Arup and CFC are companies with a specialization in cable-stayed bridges. With a new engineering firm in place, TxDOT and FDLLC will work together to develop a schedule for project completion.

“For CFC, it is a great satisfaction to be selected with Arup as the responsible engineering for completing the project and construction of the Harbor Bridge," said Antonio Martínez Cutillas, Project Manager at CFC. "For us, it constitutes a recognition of the work carried out jointly with the technical departments of Flatiron and Dragados USA. [It] all started in 2014 when our colleague Celso Iglesias (who unfortunately does not continue to accompany us), led the way, with his excellent work on the offer presented. After him, many CFC colleagues have continued this technical advisory work. Today, together with the great team of professionals made available by Arup, we are entrusted to completing the engineering work for this great project.”

The new bridge will replace the current steel bridge that was built between 1956 and 1959 to replace a drawbridge and services 26,000 vehicles every day, but has an insufficient height for large vessels to enter the port.