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The Texas Department of Transportation is hosting a groundbreaking event to kick-off construction on the U.S. 77 interstate upgrades, which will be awarded over $300 million.
According to TxDOT, the goal is to turn U.S. 77 into an interstate, specifically Interstate 69 East, stretching from Corpus Christi to Brownsville.
The event for the ceremonial groundbreaking will be held Wednesday at 9 a.m. about 9.6 miles north of State Highway 186 off U.S. 77.
From the $364 million to be awarded to the project, $191 million of the funds will be used for the construction of main lanes and overpasses on U.S. 77.
The renovations will stretch from 1.46 miles north of Norias Road to 1.34 miles north of the Willacy and Kenedy County line.
“The projects, in general, in Kenedy County will have overpasses every 5 miles or so to allow turnarounds for emergency vehicles and to provide access to major ranches in the area,” said Pete Alvarez, district engineer for the TxDOT Pharr district in a news release.
In the fall of this year, the project will receive another $173 million to construct similar improvements from 9.6 miles to 1.46 miles north of Norias Road.
“Both of these projects have two lanes in each direction with shoulders, and in the future, they will have two-lane main lanes in each direction,” Alvarez said.
TxDOT also said the project will add approximately “16 lane miles” to I-69E.
The project is expected to take about three to four years to complete.
