Aaaaaand the new bridge will not be finished in 2020.
IIRC there was a water taxi across the harbor mouth one summer. Discontinued due to budget? lack of users?
Apparently an intrepid cyclist took the lane and rode the old bridge.
I understand authorities were not amused.
The tourist board tells me the post 9-11 panic has faded with time and the narrow, trashy walkways on the old bridge are in fact open.
Work on the new bridge continues.
But, and it's a big but, the design firm for the new harbor spanning cable-stay bridge (longest in the US!) kinda had another bridge they designed, well, the technical term is 'collapse'. TexDOT said, 'hey, wow, gnarly' and did what's known as fired them, then spent 8 months finding some other company to take over.
Anyway, when (if) it gets built, it's gonna be *****in': bay side, 205 feet above the water, main span 1661' long, great views, barrier separated from motor vehicle traffic.
Latest: maybe 2023.