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EDINBURG — The city hosted a work session Tuesday to discuss the State Highway 68 Project.
Texas Department of Transportation Pharr District Engineer Pete Alvarez presented the proposed route and took questions about the project, which will create a 22-mile four-lane highway from US 281/I-69C in Edinburg to US 83/I-2 in the Alamo-Donna area.
The route shows SH 68 will begin just north of FM 490, heading east near Brushline Road before turning south and crossing FM 1925 (Monte Cristo Road) and SH 107. The route will then cross FM 1423 (Val Verde Road) before intersecting at US 83/I-2.
Alvarez also said that the new state highway will not be a tollway.
He said that SH 68 will provide and alternative route to I-69C, giving driver’s another option when traveling south to I-2.
During the presentation, Alvarez also said that there is consideration in taking FM 490, which is a two-lane roadway with shoulders, and increasing it to five lanes, or two lanes in each direction with a continuous left-turn lane.
“We believe that by adding this type of capacity it would improve, if you will, the opportunity for connectivity to (US) 281 along FM 490 to State Highway 68,” Alvarez said. “It will also, we believe, create an opportunity for economic development to occur in the area, and it just in general provides added capacity along this corridor.”
The highway was previously going to begin where I-69C intersects with FM 490. That starting point was moved north approximately three-quarters of a mile due to its proximity to South Texas International Airport. He said that by moving the route north, it would be out of the flight path while meeting Federal Aviation Administration requirements.
Alvarez said that TxDOT has considered many different alignments, including a route running south of the airport. He said that there were other constraints, including the Edinburg Landfill at 8601 Jasman Road, which is why the decision was made to move the route north.
Mayor Ramiro Garza said that he is concerned about the proposed route bypassing the airport. During the meeting Garza told Alvarez that since discussions began about SH 68 in 2014, proposed routes were always shown connecting directly to FM 490 and US 281 near the airport. That changed during discussions in 2021.
“I understand now there’s obviously these reasons that are being brought up as to why that can’t happen, but I find it hard to believe — I’ll be real honest with you — that over all this time, this section was not looked at,” Garza told Alvarez.
He said that he has an issue with the new highway not connecting directly to FM 490 and the airport like originally planned.
“The city of Edinburg has been investing in our airport for many, many years, and the state has been putting in funds there to expand it,” Garza said after the meeting. “It’s a general aviation airport, but it’s also for industrial. We’ve supported our State Highway 68 plans for a long time because it’s good for our area, but also because it was going to benefit our airport.”
He said that he appreciates TxDOT making the presentation for the city, but he would like to explore other options to find a way to go back to the original plans that connect SH 68 to FM 490 leading to the airport.
TxDOT is estimating that phase one of construction for SH 68 to begin in late 2026 or early 2027. Alvarez said that the project already has over $250 million allocated for the project as well as an additional $150 million that’s being proposed to provide an expressway facility to relieve the congestion on I-69C.
He added that once the Hidalgo County Loop is completed, which will run from the Pharr International Bridge to the Anzalduas International Bridge, the new state highway could possibly become an interstate highway.
“We believe it’s a very important project not only for the community of Edinburg, but really for the entire Valley,” Alvarez said after the meeting. “We anxiously await the comments that the mayor and his staff have regarding this project. We believe our coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration are being met with this new proposal, and we are anxiously waiting to preserve the right of way to allow for this new facility to come into play.”
