Q: Why aren’t North Padre Island and South Padre Island connected by a bridge? It is my God-given right as a Texan to use our beaches as a highway, and I want to be able to drive from Port A all the way to the mouth of the Rio Grande!

Sean Johnson, Austin

A: Way back when, Padre Island was one contiguous, very long barrier island. At some 113 miles, it has, in fact, been regarded as the world’s lengthiest such isle. Then, in September 1957, the Willacy County Navigation District dredged the Port Mansfield Channel , about 35 miles north of the island’s southernmost tip, providing access between the Gulf and the Laguna Madre, as well as creating a tidal exchange that encouraged the growth of various edible aquatic populations. Henceforth, Padre would be two islands: North Padre Island

See Full Page