Texas officials are threatening to replace the contractor building a $930-million bridge crossing the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, alleging the firm has failed to address previously identified safety concerns with the design. In response, the contractor says the state has delayed sharing key engineering information and insists the design is safe.
The Texas Dept. of Transportation issued a notice of developer default on Aug. 16 to Flatiron/Dragados LLC, the joint venture behind the design-build project to construct a replacement Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi. The move is the latest escalation in a dispute over the design, as TxDOT officials say there are deficiencies that the project team has so far failed to address. In July, TxDOT ordered the contractor to halt work on the main span of the cable-stayed bridge.