SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (AP) - The Federal Highway Administration has approved a draft environmental impact statement for a potential second route to and from South Padre Island.
The Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority made the announcement Friday, the start of the Atlantic hurricane season.
The Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge connects tourist-popular South Padre Island to the Texas mainland. Officials have compiled 12 proposals for a second access route to help evacuate during hurricanes or other emergencies.
Authority executive director Pete Sepulveda (seh-PULL'-vay-duh) Jr. on Friday declined to say whether the plans include a highway bridge. Further details on the proposals will be released June 8.
A public hearing July 17 at the South Padre Island Convention Centre will include a recommendation on the preferred plan, for more study and submission to the Federal Highway Administration.
___
Online:
http://www.cameroncountyrma.org/
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
