Residential intersection offers bumpy ride, will be fixed

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — There's a new bumpy ride in town -- but it's not at an amusement park. It's an intersection near Alameda and it has neighbors upset.
Peggy Holmes said she has lived on Chase Drive for 58 years and said she is concerned with the poor condition of her street.
"The whole street needs to be fixed," she said. "It's potholes all the way down. You bump all the way."
She said despite it being a residential area the location has heavy traffic flow because Chase Drive sits between King High School and Windsor Park Elementary.
Holmes said the pothole problem is tearing up people's cars and could cause an accident.
"When you go down the street you have to go down the middle of the street and the holes are getting closer and closer to the middle," she said. "Pretty close and you could damage your car or you can have a wreck."
She said there are two big potholes a few houses down that are most concerning to her because they look like they are becoming one.
She said when it rains, conditions get worse. She said the rain washes out the potholes and the problem starts all over again.
Charlie Cardenas, deputy director of street operations for the city, said the city will work on temporary patches for Chase Drive by next week. Harry Street will be next on the list.
"But it (Chase Drive) is on the radar for a long term solution," he said.
Cardenas said he is aware of the poor condition of the street and the flooding in the area.
"What is going to have to happen is the street is going to have to be reconstructed," Cardenas said. "That means tear up the whole street, rework the base material and redo a surface as well."
In addition, he said they are going to take a look at utilities and drainage in the area since there is standing water.
Cardenas said the timeline sits around five years as they plan and seek available funding. He said the scope of the project -- which will be a part of the Residential Street Rebuild Program -- is still in its early stages.
"We are looking at a range of about $500,000 to a million dollars to look at a project of this size," he said.
Cardenas said during the rainy season they see an influx of calls due to road conditions.
"A lot of potholes," he said. "So we are doing the best we can to catch up."
Residents can report a pothole by calling (361) 826-CITY (2489) or by logging on to the city's website by CLICKING HERE.