By DIANTÉ MARIGNY
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is preparing a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the South Padre Island Second Access Project, which proposes alternate connections from the Texas mainland (State Highway 100), across the Laguna Madre, to South Padre Island (Park Road 100) in Cameron County. The project is intended to improve mobility and enhance public safety by providing a second access route to the island, which currently relies solely on the Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway.
The South Padre Island Second Access Project will explore non-toll alternatives from SH 100 on the mainland to PR 100 on the island. TxDOT reinitiated the environmental process and is preparing a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway is currently the only roadway access to and from South Padre Island, which creates mobility and safety challenges during emergency evacuations. The purpose of the project is to explore alternative connections to improve mobility and enhance public safety during emergencies.
Local residents have shared their opinions about the project online. Johnny Ivan Pineda suggested, “In the interim, why not add an additional lane on the east and west side of the existing 50-plus-year-old Causeway? It will be another 15 years before anything is done on a second Causeway.” Others disagreed, with Rocky Rally commenting, “Not needed! More lanes in means more traffic congestion on a tiny island.” Some offered a middle perspective, such as James Martinez, who wrote, “Needed, but then the road out needs to be four lanes.”
TxDOT hosted a virtual public information workshop, with materials posted online beginning Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, and available for at least 15 days. The virtual materials included the project history, environmental studies currently underway, and potential alternative routes from the mainland to South Padre Island. Residents without internet access were able to contact TxDOT Project Manager Javier Lopez, P.E., at 956-702-6195 to review materials and ask questions. In addition, an in-person open house was held Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the South Padre Island Convention Center, 7355 Padre Blvd., where attendees could review the same materials, ask questions of TxDOT staff and consultants, and submit written comments. Both the virtual and in-person options were conducted in English and Spanish, and translation or disability accommodations were available upon request.
The proposed project would involve construction of a new 17-mile roadway, designated State Highway 104, with two travel lanes in each direction within a 100–150-foot right of way. The purpose of the project is to improve access to and from South Padre Island during emergency evacuations. While additional right of way would be required, no residential or commercial structures were anticipated to be displaced at this time. Information regarding services and benefits available to affected property owners, as well as tentative schedules for right-of-way acquisition and construction, could be obtained from the TxDOT District Office.
The project is expected to impact properties protected under Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 and Section 6(f) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act. It would also involve construction in wetlands and actions within a floodplain. All environmental documentation, maps, drawings, schedules, and related materials were available for review online, by appointment, or in hard copy at the in-person workshop.
Public feedback is encouraged and will be accepted through Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, to be included in the workshop summary. Comments can be submitted in person at the workshop, through an online form, by email to SPISecondAccess@TxDOT.gov, by mail to Javier Lopez, P.E., Project Manager, Texas Department of Transportation, 600 W. I-2, Pharr, TX 78577, or verbally in person or via voicemail at 956-426-8281. A summary of the workshop will be posted online once prepared.
The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required under applicable federal environmental laws for this project are being carried out by TxDOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding executed by FHWA and TxDOT on July 17, 2025. The South Padre Island Second Access Project is intended to explore non-toll alternatives to improve mobility and safety and will proceed through several phases, including fieldwork in 2025–2026, preparation of a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement in 2025–2026, a public hearing in late 2026, and final EIS publication in 2027.
For questions regarding the project or the public comment process, residents may contact Javier Lopez, P.E., TxDOT Project Manager, at 956-702-6195 or by email at Jose.J.Lopez@txdot.gov.