BROWNSVILLE — The Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority, in conjunction with the Texas Department of Transportation, will be realigning a 2.7-mile stretch on old FM 803.
For the remainder of the project, old FM 803 will be closed to traffic, but residents in the area can use the new FM 803 to get by.
The project is from I-69E at Rancho Viejo Avenue to just north of the Highway 100 and FM 803 intersection, according to a press release.
The purpose of the project, according to TXDOT, is to provide direct connectivity between I-69E and FM 803 and to improve traffic operations and mobility at the FM 803 and SH 550 intersection.
The construction work does present Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District with an upside, though.
“The new road will be great for Los Fresnos United, because now there are four lanes of traffic, something that was sorely needed,” said Ronnie Zamora, coordinator at the Los Fresnos ISD Communications and Marketing Office.
The new FM 803 alignment near Los Fresnos United opens today.
Los Fresnos United, which is a ninth- and 10th-grade school, is positioned to become a second high school, though school officials are unsure about when.
Prior to the new FM 803, the road in front of the school was two lanes.
“We’ve been suffering through congestion since the school opened in 2009, and in the past year or so it’s gotten really crazy. We have almost 1,800 students there at the school,” Zamora said.
On the other hand, the project will inconvenience people who live around Dora Romero Elementary or north of it.
“It’s an inconvenience for a lot of families. They’re basically going to go south on old FM 803, go on the expressway, and then come back up through new 803 for the rest of the year,” Zamora said.
According to TXDOT, no houses or businesses will be displaced as a result of the project.
