Jetty repairs make waves in South Padre

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND – Recreational opportunities on the South Padre Island jetty near the mouth of the Port of Brownsville shipping channel will be somewhat limited until May 2014.

The $14.5 million jetties renovation will be done in phases beginning 2,000 feet out into the Gulf of Mexico.

The public will have access to the first 2,000 feet of the jetty throughout the project, but pedestrian traffic will be blocked from the final 1,500 to 2,000 feet of the jetty work zone, said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representative Isidro Reyna.

Similar projects have been completed in Galveston, Sabine, Freeport and Matagorda as part of the Corps’ $45 million effort to safeguard the ports along Texas’ Gulf Coast.

It is not anticipated that the construction will affect the number of visitors to the Island since public access will only be limited, not cut off, said South Padre Island spokeswoman Naida Robles.