Proposal would tie two bridges at mid-point
November 15, 2009 10:02 PM
By EMMA PEREZ-TREVINO, The Brownsville Herald
An innovative project that would tie two international bridges at center point to both link Brownsville and Matamoros, Mexico, is planned by the state, county and city.
The Texas Department of Transportation, Cameron County and Brownsville propose to tie Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates with a parallel bridge.
Both bridges would be tied, but only at mid-point via a five-lane span.
"I think this (project) is the only one of its kind," County bridge Administrator Pete Sepulveda said.
"It (the tie-in) provides us options," in the movement of traffic, Sepulveda said.
And in connection with the project, the Federal Highway Administration has given notice to the public of an opportunity to provide input regarding the socio-economic and environmental effects of the proposed bridge
In the course of an environmental assessment of the project, FHWA issued the public notice via the Federal Register on Thursday, stating that a public hearing will be scheduled if persons request one on or before 5 p.m. Dec. 15.
A written request can be mailed to the Texas Department of Transportation District Engineer’s Office, P. O. Box 1717, Pharr, Texas, 78577.
The project calls for construction of a four-lane bridge for commercial trucks 32 feet downstream from the Veterans bridge.
The Veterans bridge and the proposed bridge would be connected at midpoint, "to provide flexibility in operation, maintenance, and security," the federal notice states.
In order to accomplish this, five bridge spans near the Rio Grande would join the bridges.
"This transitional connection would allow for one bridge to be operational while maintenance is undertaken on the opposite bridge," the notice states.
Furthermore, "this bridge connection section would allow traffic diversion from one bridge to another in case of an accident or emergency," the FHWA’s notice also points out.
The notice also states that it is not anticipated that the project would displace anyone. The proposal also would not require the purchase of additional rights-of-way and it would be constructed within an existing 300-feet wide right-of-way.
Sepulveda said the project is being developed jointly with Mexico officials.
The federal notice also points out that location maps, design plans, schematic, environmental assessment and other information regarding the proposed project are available for viewing at the TxDOT District office, 600 W. U.S. Expressway 83 in Pharr. The telephone number to schedule a viewing is (956) 702-6100.
Showing posts with label Cameron County. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cameron County. Show all posts
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
County holds off on Ocean Tower for the time being
County holds off on Ocean Tower for the time being
November 13, 2009 8:04 PM
By LAURA B. MARTINEZ, The Brownsville Herald
The Cameron County Commissioners’ Court has held off on providing a contractor with a temporary storage site for demolished construction material from South Padre Island’s Ocean Tower, which is scheduled for demolition.
Action on the site was tabled Thursday because the Commissioners’ Court needed additional information about the implosion of the structure, including whether there would be hazardous material involved and who would be in charge of removing the debris, County Judge Carlos H. Cascos said.
Costa Rica Food & Spirits Restaurant requested that it be allowed to store the remnants of Ocean Tower for about 45 days, while the steel and concrete is separated, said Cameron County Parks Director Javier Mendez.
Costa Rica Food & Spirits Restaurant is leasing its land from Cameron County.
Oceans Towers is a 31-story condominium scheduled to be demolished in early December.
Construction on the 151-unit luxury project was halted last summer year after it was determined it was sinking, which caused cracks in beams and columns.
Antun T. Domit, listed as the resident agent for Ocean Tower LP, sent out letters in November 2008 to people who had either expressed interest or had purchased one of the condo units, informing them that the high-rise project was cancelled.
The developers of Ocean Tower have filed a lawsuit against the two engineering firms contracted for the project.
Meanwhile, while discussing the Ocean Tower situation at Thursday’s meeting, commissioners learned that Ocean Tower LP owes the county about $40,000 in back taxes from 2008. Ocean Tower owes other taxing entities in the county an additional $40,000, officials said.
Tax attorney John Guevara, of Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP, on Friday said the law firm has filed a lawsuit against Ocean Tower on behalf of Cameron County for the 2008 back taxes.
The lawsuit was filed earlier this week.
Although past due tax notices were sent out beginning in July to Ocean Tower, the law firm has received no response, Guevara said.
Domit could not be reached for comment on Friday.
News of the owed taxes didn’t sit well with Precinct 3 County Commissioner David A. Garza, who said the county should consider filing an injunction against Ocean Tower.
An injunction would temporarily prohibit Ocean Tower from being demolished.
"I think we need to protect ourselves," Garza said. "It’s costing a lot for them (Ocean Tower) to do that. Maybe they’d be more apt to pay what they owe," if an injunction was filed.
However, Cascos said he didn’t believe asking for the delay would help the county collect the taxes.
Precinct 1 County Commissioner Sofia C.Benavides said since Ocean Tower has been selling some of the furnishings from the high-rise, the business should also make an attempt to pay the county money owed.
Advertisements have been placed in The Brownsville Herald stating that some of the furnishings, such as lighting, plumbing, interior fixtures, granite flooring and countertops, were for sale and priced below wholesale.
"If they’ve been selling all this stuff, they should be paying us," Benavides said.
November 13, 2009 8:04 PM
By LAURA B. MARTINEZ, The Brownsville Herald
The Cameron County Commissioners’ Court has held off on providing a contractor with a temporary storage site for demolished construction material from South Padre Island’s Ocean Tower, which is scheduled for demolition.
Action on the site was tabled Thursday because the Commissioners’ Court needed additional information about the implosion of the structure, including whether there would be hazardous material involved and who would be in charge of removing the debris, County Judge Carlos H. Cascos said.
Costa Rica Food & Spirits Restaurant requested that it be allowed to store the remnants of Ocean Tower for about 45 days, while the steel and concrete is separated, said Cameron County Parks Director Javier Mendez.
Costa Rica Food & Spirits Restaurant is leasing its land from Cameron County.
Oceans Towers is a 31-story condominium scheduled to be demolished in early December.
Construction on the 151-unit luxury project was halted last summer year after it was determined it was sinking, which caused cracks in beams and columns.
Antun T. Domit, listed as the resident agent for Ocean Tower LP, sent out letters in November 2008 to people who had either expressed interest or had purchased one of the condo units, informing them that the high-rise project was cancelled.
The developers of Ocean Tower have filed a lawsuit against the two engineering firms contracted for the project.
Meanwhile, while discussing the Ocean Tower situation at Thursday’s meeting, commissioners learned that Ocean Tower LP owes the county about $40,000 in back taxes from 2008. Ocean Tower owes other taxing entities in the county an additional $40,000, officials said.
Tax attorney John Guevara, of Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP, on Friday said the law firm has filed a lawsuit against Ocean Tower on behalf of Cameron County for the 2008 back taxes.
The lawsuit was filed earlier this week.
Although past due tax notices were sent out beginning in July to Ocean Tower, the law firm has received no response, Guevara said.
Domit could not be reached for comment on Friday.
News of the owed taxes didn’t sit well with Precinct 3 County Commissioner David A. Garza, who said the county should consider filing an injunction against Ocean Tower.
An injunction would temporarily prohibit Ocean Tower from being demolished.
"I think we need to protect ourselves," Garza said. "It’s costing a lot for them (Ocean Tower) to do that. Maybe they’d be more apt to pay what they owe," if an injunction was filed.
However, Cascos said he didn’t believe asking for the delay would help the county collect the taxes.
Precinct 1 County Commissioner Sofia C.Benavides said since Ocean Tower has been selling some of the furnishings from the high-rise, the business should also make an attempt to pay the county money owed.
Advertisements have been placed in The Brownsville Herald stating that some of the furnishings, such as lighting, plumbing, interior fixtures, granite flooring and countertops, were for sale and priced below wholesale.
"If they’ve been selling all this stuff, they should be paying us," Benavides said.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Veterans Bridge expansion aims to alleviate lengthy crossings for commercial traffic
Veterans Bridge expansion aims to alleviate lengthy crossings for commercial trafficNovember 02, 2009 11:33 AM
By STEVE CLARK, The Brownsville Herald
By STEVE CLARK, The Brownsville Herald
Even with fewer border crossings taking place in Brownsville these days, traffic still jams up at Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates.
To address the problem, Cameron County is planning to add a new four-lane span for commercial trucks entering the United States. The county, which estimates the cost of the project at $11 million, is in the process of securing a necessary amendment to the bridge’s original Presidential Permit — required for any structure connecting the United States with a foreign neighbor.
Cameron County administrator Peter Sepulveda says construction should begin in April 2010 and take 12 months to complete. The federal Coordinated Border Infrastructure Program will pay 80 percent of the project via the Texas Department of Transportation.
Cameron County and the city of Brownsville will put up the remaining 20 percent. Sepulveda says the problem with Veterans Bridge is that commercial trucks have a hard time just getting to primary inspection lanes — even if the lanes are empty — because of passenger car traffic.
A U.S. Department of the Interior memo on the project notes the bridge is "at capacity," which translates into long wait times for commercial vehicles — 30 minutes during week days and up to two hours on weekends and holidays. The memo, generated by the U.S. Department of the Interior, forecasts traffic volumes at the bridge to double by 2028, even though volume for both commercial and non-commercial traffic has fallen recently.
Sepulveda says new passport requirements that took effect June 1 have taken their toll on non-commercial traffic, while the recession’s impact on maquiladoras that serve the U.S. auto industry has severely impacted commercial traffic. In 2009 the county will collect about $3.5 million in commercial traffic tolls at Veterans Bridge, down 15 percent from previous years. Sepulveda believes traffic volume will rebound with the economy, however.
"Our commercial and other traffic has been going down because of different issues we’re faced with, but eventually that’s going to come back up," he says. "We need to be prepared when traffic does improve.
Eventually the economy will get better. People will get used to having to get their passport cards. Things will get better. It’s just hard to tell whether it’s going to be in 12 months or 36 months."
The original environmental assessment for Veterans Bridge was put together in 1981. The bridge complex was built in 1999 at a cost of $25 million. Today the facility is crammed with "idling lines of cars and diesel trucks sitting for hours at a time," according to the Interior Department memo. This congestion, which the report notes "contributes to poor air quality at the U.S./Mexico border," would be alleviated by the new span and additional lanes, says the government.
Until the recent drop in volume, truck traffic volume had climbed rapidly at the border, spurred by NAFTA, which went into effect Jan. 1, 1994. The value of U.S. trade to and from Mexico by truck through Texas ports rose from $57.3 billion in 1995 to more than $106 billion in 1999, according to the government. From 1990 to 1999, truck crossings at Texas ports increased from 726,000 to 2.3 million.
Sepulveda says the bridge project has been in planning for about two years and has nothing to do with the city of Laredo’s plan to add seven commercial lanes to its trade bridge.
"They have a different market than we do," he says. "Our competition is the (Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge). That’s our nearest competition."
The Pharr bridge is congested, too, Sepulveda notes, thus improving the flow of trucks through Veterans Bridge could lure some commercial traffic away from Hidalgo County.
"That’s the idea," he says. "That’s a possibility."
Levee reconstruction project coming in Cameron and Hidalgo Counties
Levee reconstruction project comingRIO GRANDE VALLEY — A $20.9 million levee reconstruction project along 48 miles of the North Floodway and Arroyo Colorado in Cameron and Hidalgo counties will create a more secure flood barrier and could reduce flood insurance rates for local residents, officials said.
Construction will benefit cities between and including La Feria and Weslaco.
“Hopefully it will decrease our risk of flooding,” La Feria Assistant City Manager Darla Jones said.
The project, awarded to Ballenger Construction of Harlingen, is expected to begin within the next few weeks and is projected to be finished by September 2010, Sally Spener, U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission spokeswoman, said.
“We intend to certify the levees to (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and that will help people out on flood insurance rates down the road,” she said.
Spener did not have an exact date when construction would begin. Ballenger Construction would not comment on the project.
The levee’s height will vary and will depend on how low it lies in relation to FEMA water level projections for a 100-year flood, which is defined as a flood so severe that it has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year, Spener said.
The new construction will create a barrier that is FEMA accredited, a certification that city officials say could reduce flood insurance rates.
The levee must rise 3 feet above the estimated 100-year flood level to earn the accreditation, Spener said.
“That is something that all the … residents will benefit from: not seeing their insurance premiums going up so dramatically,” Mercedes City Manager Richard Garcia said.
“All of this will take place to ensure that they will be able to discharge water into the floodway system and that there is not going to be a break on one of the banks,” Garcia said. “All of this is going to work out to ensure the safety of the residents.”
Jones, the La Feria city official, said the project could not have come at a better time.
“The timing of this project is perfect because our flood insurance rate maps are currently being revised by FEMA,” Jones said. “As it stands now our levees are not accredited so they are not providing any benefit for flood insurance purposes.”
Monday, October 19, 2009
Oberstar's whirlwind tour of Cameron County a big success, say officials
Oberstar's whirlwind tour of Cameron County a big success, say officials
Rio Grande Guardian
“It was a brilliant day for Cameron County,” said Cameron County Commissioner David Garza. “Chairman Oberstar was totally impressed by the partnerships we have with our friends in Mexico and by the important projects we are working on. We told him we are not waiting for handouts. Rather we are getting things done with public and private partnerships.”
Oberstar, D-Minnesota, landed in Harlingen just before 11 a.m. on Sunday morning. Over the next 12 hours he visited the Port of Brownsville, the Fun N Sun RV Resort in San Benito, the Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport, the Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates, the West Railroad Project, the downtown Brownsville Levee Project and observed construction of the border fence at Hope Park in Brownsville, the Cameron County floodway system, the Bahia Grande wetland restoration project, and the potential site of the second causeway. Ortiz and the Cameron County leaders even found time to throw a fundraiser for Oberstar at the Sea Ranch Restaurant on South Padre Island.
Possibly the most important aspect of the tour, given that Oberstar chairs the transportation committee, was discussion on funding for I-69.
“Our meeting on I-69 was most productive. We discussed our application for Tiger grants,” Garza said. “Many people do not realize that Chairman Oberstar was in Congress as a committee clerk before he entered Congress so he has been involved in transportation issues for 40 years. This gentleman was a working encyclopedia in terms of information on the interstate system and the politics on why some areas of the country do not have interstate.”
Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos emphasized the need for an interstate and the need to bring more jobs and infrastructure to the area. “We have four modes of transportation in Cameron County – highway, rail, maritime and air – and we need to take advantage of that,” Cascos told Oberstar.
Ortiz said Oberstar’s visit will unquestionably boost Cameron County’s chances of obtaining federal funding for transportation and infrastructure-related projects.
“Chairman Oberstar was kind enough to join us in South Texas this weekend so he could hear first-hand from community, county and state representatives about the needs of our community,” Ortiz said. “I am thankful he was able to join us as we visited some of the most important on-going and future projects that are in need of funding or reauthorizations.”
Garza said because the border wall is not finished in Hope Park, Oberstar was able to go around to the “Mexican side” of the fence. “It is one of those things where you are either in jail or out of jail,” Garza said.
Garza said there was also discussion about Cameron County’s growth projections. In 2000 the Census Bureau said the county’s population was around 330,000. Garza said he believes the 2010 Census Bureau figures will show the county’s population to be more than 400,000. “Chairman Oberstar told us that if you wait for things to happen in Congress you can wait 40 or 50 years. He told us to be proactive and was, I think, very impressed with our vision,” Garza said.
David Allex, chair of the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority, pointed out the urgency of addressing projected growth patterns over the next 20 to 30 years. “In the year 2040 the population in our area will be in excess of seven to ten million. We need to start working to address mobility, congestion and economic development for the benefit of future generations today not tomorrow,” Allex said..
Garza said he liked the phrase Ortiz coined at the dinner for Oberstar. “Congressman Ortiz said we are sitting on a goldmine in Cameron County and that all we need are the tools to get it out of the ground and use it. I agree with that. My phrase is: ‘the stars are aligned.”
Among those who visited with Oberstar on the tour were Garza, Cascos, Allex, TxDOT Pharr District Engineer Mario Jorge, Port of Brownsville CEO Eduardo A. Campirano, Port of Brownsville Chair Carlos Masso, Port of Brownsville Commissioner Ralph Cowen, and Cameron County Bridge Director Pete Sepulveda, Jr.
Oberstar said he was impressed with everyone and everything he saw on the whirlwind tour.
“Today, community leaders in South Texas reaffirmed to me the needs this community has,” Oberstar said. “This community is rich in culture and history, and I will do all I can to help the continued growth and development of this area.”
Write Steve Taylor
Rio Grande Guardian
Picture: U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minnesota, (left) visits the 'Mexican side' of the border wall at Hope Park in Brownsville.
BROWNSVILLE, Oct. 19 - Local political leaders say a whirlwind tour of Cameron County by a key U.S. House committee chairman will produce tremendous short and long term benefits for the area.
U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, chairman of House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, paid his first visit to the Rio Grande Valley on Sunday, as a guest of U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi.
“It was a brilliant day for Cameron County,” said Cameron County Commissioner David Garza. “Chairman Oberstar was totally impressed by the partnerships we have with our friends in Mexico and by the important projects we are working on. We told him we are not waiting for handouts. Rather we are getting things done with public and private partnerships.”
Oberstar, D-Minnesota, landed in Harlingen just before 11 a.m. on Sunday morning. Over the next 12 hours he visited the Port of Brownsville, the Fun N Sun RV Resort in San Benito, the Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport, the Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates, the West Railroad Project, the downtown Brownsville Levee Project and observed construction of the border fence at Hope Park in Brownsville, the Cameron County floodway system, the Bahia Grande wetland restoration project, and the potential site of the second causeway. Ortiz and the Cameron County leaders even found time to throw a fundraiser for Oberstar at the Sea Ranch Restaurant on South Padre Island.
Possibly the most important aspect of the tour, given that Oberstar chairs the transportation committee, was discussion on funding for I-69.
“Our meeting on I-69 was most productive. We discussed our application for Tiger grants,” Garza said. “Many people do not realize that Chairman Oberstar was in Congress as a committee clerk before he entered Congress so he has been involved in transportation issues for 40 years. This gentleman was a working encyclopedia in terms of information on the interstate system and the politics on why some areas of the country do not have interstate.”
Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos emphasized the need for an interstate and the need to bring more jobs and infrastructure to the area. “We have four modes of transportation in Cameron County – highway, rail, maritime and air – and we need to take advantage of that,” Cascos told Oberstar.
Ortiz said Oberstar’s visit will unquestionably boost Cameron County’s chances of obtaining federal funding for transportation and infrastructure-related projects.
“Chairman Oberstar was kind enough to join us in South Texas this weekend so he could hear first-hand from community, county and state representatives about the needs of our community,” Ortiz said. “I am thankful he was able to join us as we visited some of the most important on-going and future projects that are in need of funding or reauthorizations.”
Garza said because the border wall is not finished in Hope Park, Oberstar was able to go around to the “Mexican side” of the fence. “It is one of those things where you are either in jail or out of jail,” Garza said.
Garza said there was also discussion about Cameron County’s growth projections. In 2000 the Census Bureau said the county’s population was around 330,000. Garza said he believes the 2010 Census Bureau figures will show the county’s population to be more than 400,000. “Chairman Oberstar told us that if you wait for things to happen in Congress you can wait 40 or 50 years. He told us to be proactive and was, I think, very impressed with our vision,” Garza said.
David Allex, chair of the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority, pointed out the urgency of addressing projected growth patterns over the next 20 to 30 years. “In the year 2040 the population in our area will be in excess of seven to ten million. We need to start working to address mobility, congestion and economic development for the benefit of future generations today not tomorrow,” Allex said..
Garza said he liked the phrase Ortiz coined at the dinner for Oberstar. “Congressman Ortiz said we are sitting on a goldmine in Cameron County and that all we need are the tools to get it out of the ground and use it. I agree with that. My phrase is: ‘the stars are aligned.”
Among those who visited with Oberstar on the tour were Garza, Cascos, Allex, TxDOT Pharr District Engineer Mario Jorge, Port of Brownsville CEO Eduardo A. Campirano, Port of Brownsville Chair Carlos Masso, Port of Brownsville Commissioner Ralph Cowen, and Cameron County Bridge Director Pete Sepulveda, Jr.
Oberstar said he was impressed with everyone and everything he saw on the whirlwind tour.
“Today, community leaders in South Texas reaffirmed to me the needs this community has,” Oberstar said. “This community is rich in culture and history, and I will do all I can to help the continued growth and development of this area.”
Write Steve Taylor
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Cameron County gets $4 million grant for rail relocation
Cameron County gets $4 million grant for rail relocation
By LAURA B. MARTINEZ, The Brownsville Herald
The federal government has provided Cameron County with a $4 million grant that will be used to help fund the West Rail Relocation Project.
The project calls for the relocation of the international rail bridge from the downtown areas of Brownsville and Matamoros to less populated areas in both cities.
Construction on the West Rail Relocation Project is expected to begin in spring 2010, County Judge Carlos H. Cascos said Tuesday.
"This critical funding will help close the current funding gap on the estimated total amount for the construction of the new rail bridge," Cascos said. ‘‘This award of $4 million will allow us to go to construction with the necessary funding in place."
The construction cost on the United States side of the rail relocation project is estimated at $35 million.
Local, state and federal funds are funding the project. The county’s West Rail Relocation Project is among seven projects nationwide that were awarded funding by the Federal Railroad Administration’s Rail Line Relocation and Improvement Program.
To be eligible for grant funding, a project must include the reduction of adverse effects of rail traffic on safety and motor vehicle traffic flow and not negatively affect a community’s quality of life, according to the FRA.
In addition, grant recipients are required to pay at least 10 percent of the project’s cost.
Cameron County is contributing $2.5 million to the project.
The relocation project will move the rail bridge to the west side of Brownsville near the River Bend area. Moving the rail bridge is expected to reduce traffic jams and help expedite emergency medical help when needed around the Cameron County area.
Officials said the new rail bridge would also improve the ability for trains to cross at all hours. It should eliminate the three-to six-hour delays when trains are not allowed to cross during peak motor vehicle travel times during the morning and evening hours.
In late 2008, county officials traveled to Washington, D.C., to make a technical presentation to the FRA prior to submitting its application.
The project has been in the works for nearly a decade.
By LAURA B. MARTINEZ, The Brownsville Herald
The federal government has provided Cameron County with a $4 million grant that will be used to help fund the West Rail Relocation Project.
The project calls for the relocation of the international rail bridge from the downtown areas of Brownsville and Matamoros to less populated areas in both cities.
Construction on the West Rail Relocation Project is expected to begin in spring 2010, County Judge Carlos H. Cascos said Tuesday.
"This critical funding will help close the current funding gap on the estimated total amount for the construction of the new rail bridge," Cascos said. ‘‘This award of $4 million will allow us to go to construction with the necessary funding in place."
The construction cost on the United States side of the rail relocation project is estimated at $35 million.
Local, state and federal funds are funding the project. The county’s West Rail Relocation Project is among seven projects nationwide that were awarded funding by the Federal Railroad Administration’s Rail Line Relocation and Improvement Program.
To be eligible for grant funding, a project must include the reduction of adverse effects of rail traffic on safety and motor vehicle traffic flow and not negatively affect a community’s quality of life, according to the FRA.
In addition, grant recipients are required to pay at least 10 percent of the project’s cost.
Cameron County is contributing $2.5 million to the project.
The relocation project will move the rail bridge to the west side of Brownsville near the River Bend area. Moving the rail bridge is expected to reduce traffic jams and help expedite emergency medical help when needed around the Cameron County area.
Officials said the new rail bridge would also improve the ability for trains to cross at all hours. It should eliminate the three-to six-hour delays when trains are not allowed to cross during peak motor vehicle travel times during the morning and evening hours.
In late 2008, county officials traveled to Washington, D.C., to make a technical presentation to the FRA prior to submitting its application.
The project has been in the works for nearly a decade.
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