If the winter winds were just right, a specific stretch of SH 48 in South Texas would become a death trap for dozens of brown pelicans flying into the Bahia Grande. When strong north winds would blow across SH 48, a concrete barrier along the north side of the road created a vortex causing the pelicans to drop onto the highway. TxDOT recently studied the area and determined that any wind higher than 30 mph blowing over the concrete barrier would create the vortex. In addition, those winds were most common in the evenings when the pelicans were returning to the Bahia Grande for the night. Once on the road with 75-mph traffic, the powerful downdraft would make it impossible for the pelicans to take off again. TxDOT engineers began designing a new barrier wall that would continue serving its safety purpose for motorists, but also decrease the vortex. The new barrier—the first of its kind in Texas—is made of concrete and metal and includes numerous gaps that allow the northerly winds t...