#TBT: Port Isabel causeway collapse in 2001 killed 8, cut link to South Padre Island
With the world and nation still reeling from the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, South Texas suffered another blow when four days later a portion of the causeway connecting South Padre Island and Port Isabel collapsed, sending vehicles into the water early in the morning of Sept. 15. Eight people were killed, while three survivors were rescued from the waters.
The immediate fear was this was another terrorist attack. But the collapse occurred when a group of four steel-loaded barges pushed by a tugboat crashed into the structure’s support columns. Two 80-foot sections fell immediately, creating a gap at the highest portion of the bridge. Vehicles approaching the gap around 2 a.m. couldn’t see the missing pavement, plunging 85 feet into the Laguna Madre. A third section of the bridge fell later, leaving a 240-foot gap and further hampering rescue and recovery efforts.
One of the victims was 52-year-old Kingsville resident Gaspar Hinojosa, who worked as an assistant manager at a Whataburger in South Padre. The other victims were Port Isabel fire marshal Robert “Bob” Harris, Hector Martinez, “Harpoon” Barry Welch and Chelsea Welch, all of Port Isabel; Julio Mireles of Los Fresnos; Robin Leavell of Mercedes; and Stvan Francisco Rivas of Humble. It took authorities until Sept. 25 to pull the last of the victims from the wreckage.
More: THROWBACK THURSDAY: JFK Causeway to Padre Island went from tollway to freeway
The bridge, the only link to the mainland for South Padre Island, was unusable. The Texas Department of Transportation sent one of the ferries from Port Aransas south to help shuttle cars stranded on the island back to the mainland as the causeway underwent $4.3 million in emergency repairs. The causeway also supported electrical and phone lines to South Padre, so electric and phone service went out sporadically as repairs took place.
The town, which relies heavily on tourism, struggled for the months the causeway was closed. Fishing, sightseeing and party boats were converted to ferries to usher residents back and forth to Port Isabel to conduct business and do shopping. With no schools in South Padre, kids arrived at the marina before dawn each day to put on lifejackets and ride the ferry to their schools in Port Isabel. Many restaurants and shops closed or eked along with lower staffing.
Workers completed construction ahead of schedule, and the causeway reopened Nov. 21, 2001, a month earlier than expected. Gov. Rick Perry cut the ribbon to signal the bridge’s reopening, and drove across the repaired causeway in a van loaded with local community leaders. Garth Brooks performed a concert one week later to celebrate the completion of the repairs and help reinvigorate the local economy. About 25,000 fans showed up to hear Brooks perform in the cold, rainy weather.
In October the following year, officials unveiled an octagonal memorial honoring the victims in South Padre, and the bridge was renamed the Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway.
Allison Ehrlich writes about things to do in South Texas and has a weekly Throwback Thursday column on local history.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: #TBT: Causeway collapse in 2001 killed 8, cut link to South Padre Island
