PHARR, Texas (ValleyCentral) — If you have to drive through the interchange construction project in the Upper Valley, we have good news.
The Texas Department of Transportation says the project is 75 percent complete.
They told ValleyCentral a new traffic pattern is expected in early June.
TxDOT says the project it is moving right along and the commute will soon be a lot easier.
They say it will be easier to go from Edinburg to Harlingen and drivers approaching the interchange on southbound I-69/U.S. 281 with the intent of driving toward Harlingen will stay left and drive onto Direct Connector 3.
“Direct connector 3, the one that we’re standing on right now is expected to open in early June. We hope to have an exact date for the opening by next week,” Ray Pedraza, a public information officer for TxDOT said.
We spoke with those who know this route well. They’ve seen it on their daily commute every day and they want to know whether or not it’s going to be done anytime soon.
One Pharr businessman operating right off the highway roadwork says during the day, traffic is horrible.
He doesn’t think the project is nearing completion.
“By the looks of it, I don’t think it’s going to end anytime soon. I mean I just passed by there a couple minutes ago and there’s ten guys pouring one thing of concrete. It seems like they don’t advance very much,” says Marcos Gomez, a Pharr phone business owner.
Gomez is taking note because it is chasing customers away.
”99 percent of them are going around to other locations because of the fact that they don’t want to deal with the traffic,” Gomez adds.
But TxDOT says he will have to be patient for just a few short months.
“About a month after this connector opens, the McAllen to Edinburg will open and then the final connector which is the Harlingen to Edinburg, that will close as the other one opens and then all four of these connectors should be done by the end of the year,” TxDOT’s Pedraza says.
This project has a price-tag of $303 million and around 500 workers.
TxDOT recommends those frustrated with the project follow up with its contractor Dragados-Pulice Joint Venture at 877-494-8084.
