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Work on the Pharr Interchange Project is anticipated to continue until the end of the year following a few delays that have pushed back the initial estimated date of completion in May.
The project has seen continued progress throughout the year, most recently with the opening of westbound I-2 main lanes in Pharr and McAllen, and three new ramps in Pharr over the weekend.
“Currently, the remaining work on the I-2/I-69C Interchange Project is to open up the remainder of the main lanes to their final configuration and to rehabilitate the frontage roads & cross streets,” Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Ray Pedraza said.
The openings included the new wider westbound main lanes between Fir Street in Pharr and Jackson Avenue in McAllen; the new westbound on-ramp between Veterans Boulevard and Cage Boulevard in Pharr; the new westbound exit ramp between Cage Boulevard and Sugar Road in Pharr; and the new westbound on-ramp between Sugar Road and Jackson Road in Pharr.
Pedraza said that TxDOT is working to complete the westbound main lanes, which will be fully opened by the end of September, and the full main lanes, which will be opened in mid-October.
TxDOT also anticipates that the I-69C northbound and southbound lanes will be completed by the end of September, and the frontage roads will be completed near the end of the year.
Pedraza said that the delays that the project has experienced are typical of most construction projects.
“First, it should be noted that this project has a very aggressive schedule,” Pedraza said. “It can take at times over 10 years to fully design and build a project of this magnitude. The full design and its construction will be fully done in a little over 5 years.”
Pedraza said that some of the speedbumps the project has faced include the contractor “trying to sustain a workforce to meet the aggressive schedule that this project has.”
He added that despite the number of workers and equipment on the project, it is more difficult now to achieve high productivity due to smaller work areas
“The timeframes previously given were estimated and we have to consider some of the remaining constructability challenges, such as the small work areas previously mentioned,” Pedraza said.
With the end of the project in sight, Pedraza wanted to remind drivers that ultimately, TxDOT’s priority is to build a “safe and reliable roadway, even if it requires extending the project’s duration in the process.”
“We are excited about delivering this much-needed project that has had some major challenges,” Pedraza said. “In the end, the public benefits by improving safety, connectivity, and mobility in the region.”
