State officials said they are continuing their work to clear sand dunes off of the northern end of South Padre Island's Park Road 100.
The dunes first started invading the roadway in full force during the 2010 Hurricane Season when several tropical weather events happened in the adjacent Gulf of Mexico.
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Pharr District Director of Maintenance Pete Alvarez told Action 4 News it’s a constant issue.
But Alvarez said TxDOT crews have been fighting to keep the latest round of invading sand dunes off the roadway since September.
“It’s a tough challenge,” Alavrez said. “We have to constantly be diligent.”
Southeast winds and the ongoing drought keep pushing more sand on the roadway.
Over the Memorial Day Weekend, the sand dunes covered the northbound lane and parts of the southbound lanes.
Alvarez said motorists have to weave on the lanes to make to the end of the road.
“We try to keep at least one lane open,” Alvarez said.
But environmental regulations prevent TxDOT crews from simply bulldozing the sand off the roadway.
Alvarez said crews have to remove the sand and take it to a pre-designated beach or shoreline.
TxDOT coordinates moving the sand dunes with private landowners, the Texas General Land Office and Cameron County officials.
Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos said county officials issued a dune permit to allow at least one South Padre Island landowner.
An exact timetable was not available but Cascos said the landowner will be allowed to hire a private contractor to take the sand off the roadway and back on to his property.
Meteorologist Jim Campbell with the National Weather Service in Brownsville told Action 4 News that the weather will provide some temporary relief for work crews.
Campbell said southeast winds have been blowing for 25 mph or higher but will ease up and shift to the east from Wednesday through Friday.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT