After 10 years, a project that started as an idea to restore fish habitat has nearly completed its original goal.

On Tuesday, members of the organization RGV Reef deployed another 110-foot-long tug boat to its artificial reef near South Padre Island.

The boat was named after Gary Glick, the founder of RGV Reef, who died in 2024.

As part of the project that Glick started, 50,000 tons of reef material were put on the 1,650-acre reef.

RELATED STORY: Railroad ties being used to double size of artificial reef near South Padre Island

RGV Reef said they're also supporting an upcoming project that will repurpose the original Queen Isabella causeway.

The original causeway opened in 1952 as a low-lying bridge that connected South Padre Island and Port Isabel. Its remains lie south of the current Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway.

“This is 3 thousand foot to nowhere,” Charles Nelson said. He’s the owner of the 24-acre property that faces the old causeway.

The bridge was condemned to traffic, and the concrete — owned by the state — continues wearing down.

The concrete deteriorated after the rebar inside rusted out, making the bridge unsafe for vehicles to travel.

The Texas General Land Office will dismantle this bridge later this year.

"They're going to take it eight miles east out of the South Padre Island jetties, and we're going to build another reef that's going to be named the Queen Isabela Reef — in conjunction with the GLO,”   RGV Reef President Curtis Hayungs said. “We're going to be assisting them and building concrete railroad tie structures within that permitted area."

In a statement, Texas GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said, in part, "the GLO will provide essential habitats to marine life, which will enhance biodiversity, reduce beach erosion for coastal communities and support recreational fishing."

Nelson is repurposing the area as a SpaceX viewing site, and hopes to add homes here.

“This thing's been dangerous for many, many years. It’s sad but it does need it,” Nelson said. “It's truly dangerous to society."

Channel 5 News was told the GLO will work with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on dismantling the project. They are going out for bids on the project through Friday, Feb. 28.

Watch the video above for the full story.