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Rio Grande Valley drivers should anticipate more lane changes in November as construction progresses on the I-2/I-69C Interchange Project.
The Texas Department of Transportation in Pharr shared updates to the project this week, including road closures as construction crews work to meet the anticipated date of completion early next year.
Among the updates was news of a traffic switch on Interstate 2 in Pharr in the coming weeks.
“Drivers heading eastbound and westbound are currently using what will be the future four westbound main lanes of Interstate 2,” TxDOT spokesman Ray Pedraza said. “Traffic on those four lanes will be switched to the future eastbound lanes. This will allow contractor crews to reconstruct the current main lanes in use and also allow for the reconstruction of the westbound I-2 bridges over US Business 83 and Jackson Road.”
The $303 million I-2/I-69C Interchange Project, which is being undertaken by Dragados-Pulice Joint Venture, includes improvements to 7.8 miles of roadway — on I-2 just west of Second Street in McAllen to just east of Stewart Road in San Juan, and on I-69C from Nolana Loop to I-2 in Pharr.
As for the current status of the project, Pedraza said that work is currently being finalized on the Interstate 2 eastbound overpass at Jackson Road and Business 83 in Pharr. He added that future eastbound main lanes in the area are currently under construction and nearing completion.
“The other major activity on the project is the reconstruction of the ‘Harlingen to Edinburg’ connector (Direct Connector 1) that will merge westbound traffic on Interstate 2 with northbound traffic on I-69C,” Pedraza said. “Demolition of the old single-lane connector was completed in three weeks, this past July. Work on the new and wider connector began on August 1 and crews are making remarkable progress. The new connector, the last of four being reconstructed, is expected to be completed by the end of this year.”
As far as the anticipated dates of completion, he said that he ‘Harlingen to Edinburg’ connector (Direct Connector 1) is expected to be completed by the end of this year, and the substantial completion of the overall project is expected in early 2024.
“A lot of progress was made over the summer and TxDOT and its contractor are excited to complete the last direct connector by the end of the year,” Pedraza said. “There are approximately 500 contractor employees who are working 7 days a week, day and night to complete the project. TxDOT engineers are also working around the clock with the contractor to provide timely resolutions to construction issues as they arise so that the project can stay on track.”
The public is encouraged to visit dpjvtx.com for news and updates about the interchange project. There, visitors will also be able to view renderings of the completed project and sign up for traffic alerts to their phone or computers.
