There’s some good news for motorists who travel Ruben M. Torres Sr. Boulevard from Paredes Line to Old Port Isabel Road.
State officials believe work on the widening project will be concluded sometime in June, weather permitting.
For the past year, Texas Department of Transportation crews have been widening the roadway, also known as FM 802, which is one of Brownsville’s busiest boulevards.
Contractors have made minimal improvements to the drainage system, which consist of cleaning existing culverts and replacing/modifying existing inlets, said Ray Pedraza, public information officer for TxDOT.
Medians added to the boulevard to help with the traffic flow have been completed. They are the same style placed on Ruben Torres from U.S. Expressway 77/83 to Paredes Line Road.
Bright orange barrels remained placed all along the boulevard Monday afternoon, with a few barricades also in place. Contractors did minimal work Monday because of inclement weather, Pedraza said. A cold front pushed through Brownsville Monday bringing light rain and cooler temperatures.
The project, which is about 1.36 miles long, begins at FM 802 and FM 1847 (Paredes Line Road) and ends at Old Port Isabel Road. It involves the construction of a raised concrete median and widening of the four exiting lanes to six 12-foot wide travel lanes and two 10-foot wide bike lanes. The 6-foot wide sidewalks will remain in place along both sides of the roadway. In addition, the project includes proposed right and left turn lanes at intersections throughout the project.
The project began in early 2021.
Earlier this year, contractors worked on sidewalks and ramps to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA.
TxDOT officials said FM 802 is ranked 92nd out of the top 100 most congested roadways in Texas. By widening FM 802 and adding medians, authorities said this could help alleviate the traffic congestion.
Officials earlier said the expansion project would be matching the other part of FM 802 that was widened to six lanes several years ago. The need for the project also stems from the fact that FM 802 has had a significant increase in traffic in the past several years.
TxDOT held a public meeting on the project in September 2019 where the public was told what the project would entail and why it was needed.
Although the estimated cost of the project was $7.5 million when it was officially announced, the cost has increased by $178,583.87.
