Corpus Christi, Texas’, new Harbor Bridge is a visible symbol of engineering and regional progress. Behind its towering pylons and sweeping span is the coordination of teams working across time zones, facilities and disciplines. As the Independent Quality Firm (IQF), Atlas helped align those moving parts, ensuring each component met project specifications and supported long-term performance.
A Complex Build with High Stakes
At more than 3,200 feet long and rising 538 feet above water, the new Harbor Bridge is now the tallest structure south of San Antonio, Texas, and the longest concrete segmental cable-stayed bridge in North America. Designed with expanded navigational clearance, the bridge opens the channel to accommodate larger ships and modern maritime traffic, strengthening the Port of Corpus Christi and reinforcing the region’s role in global trade.
Delivering a structure of this scope required coordination across more than 15 fabrication facilities in the U.S. and abroad. Each facility site operates under its own conditions, schedules and documentation processes. That’s where Atlas stepped in as the IQF, coordinating across teams and facilities to ensure all aspects of construction met project standards and moved the work forward.
Independent Quality, Coordinated at Scale
Atlas collaborated with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and design-build contractor FlatironDragados to manage and monitor quality assurance from fabrication to final inspection.
Custom Inspection and Testing Plans (ITPs) were developed for components produced outside of TxDOT’s standard approval process, including precast bridge segments, stay cable anchors, epoxy-coated strands, high-load bearings and modular expansion joints. Each plan supported documentation, traceability and compliance with project requirements.
Our team performed audits, inspections and testing at each fabrication site before materials ever reached the job site. By applying a consistent approach across locations, Atlas helped streamline coordination, minimize rework and give both TxDOT and the contractor confidence that every part was ready to perform as designed, regardless of where it was made.
Trusted to the End — and Beyond
With the new bridge now open to traffic, Atlas continues to support Phase II activities, including preparations for demolition of the original truss bridge and reconstruction of adjacent roadway segments.
At every phase, our work reflects a commitment to delivering dependable quality that strengthens infrastructure and supports the communities that rely on it. For Atlas, success lives in the trust we earn, the standards we uphold and the future we help shape.
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