The long-awaited Pharr interchange project is about 40% complete as of Friday, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

The $303 million project widening the I-2 and I-69C interchange is expected to be completed by December 2023. Until then, the construction has caused road closures and traffic re-routes in McAllen, Pharr and San Juan for several years.

According to TxDOT’s Pharr District Public Information Officer Ray Pedraza, more road closures are expected throughout the duration of the project.

Although the construction contributes to traffic congestion in the McAllen metro area, Pedraza said the project, which will widen the interchange to eight lanes and connectors to two lanes in certain areas, will benefit one of the fastest-growing regions in the Rio Grande Valley.

“The communities that are being impacted the most right now because of the construction are San Juan, McAllen and Pharr because that is where the majority of the construction is being done right now. Once it is complete it is going to benefit not only them but also the entire region,” Pedraza said Friday.

Pedraza added that once completed, Interstate 2 between Second Street in McAllen to Cesar Chavez in San Juan will be increasing to eight lanes.

“So that is going to be able to accommodate a large volume of traffic in a more efficient way,” he said.

The direct connectors will also increase from one to two lanes, “increasing capacity on (Interstate 69C) and on the direct connectors.”

There’s been more to the project than construction work, however, as local emergency departments from the cities of Pharr, McAllen, Edinburg and San Juan are now coordinating mutual aid for emergency calls near I-2 and I-69C. In February, Pharr city commissioners approved the mutual aid agreement so that the agencies from these respective cities can respond to emergencies in these areas.