TxDOT completes Aransas Pass storm wall drill in preparation of hurricane season

In preparation of hurricane season, the Texas Department of Transportation conducted a drill to install a section of the storm surge wall in Aransas Pass on Tuesday.

Aransas Pass has a levee system on the east side of town as protection from rising water during a hurricane. Highway 361 creates an opening in the levee system. The TxDOT drill involves closing that gap with a surge wall barrier, a news release stated.

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“This was a good exercise today that went well with no hitches. If a storm approaches, TxDOT stands ready to respond. We also appreciate the traveling public’s cooperation as our crews conducted the drill,” Rockport Maintenance Section Supervisor John Jacobs said in a news release.

The surge wall is 80 feet long by 10 feet tall and spans five lanes of Highway 361 and sidewalks. Only half of the wall was installed during the drill.

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Beginning at 10 a.m., TxDOT’s Rockport Maintenance section and other TxDOT crews got familiar with the wall’s installation and ensured all parts are operational. During the drill, two-way traffic on Highway 361 was limited to one lane of traffic moving in each direction. TxDOT personnel were off the roadway by 2 p.m.

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Ashlee Burns covers trending and breaking news in South Texas. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe.