TxDOT To Close Eastbound I-69 Overpass, Send Traffic To Turnaround
At a Thusday press conference Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) officials announced the closure of the eastbound lane from I-69 now connecting to I-2 in Pharr. Drivers will instead be routed westward for a short distance and then routed to the Sugar Road underpass to allow them to then get on I-2 eastbound.
The $303 million project is being built by contractor Dragados/Pulice Joint Venture and is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
Pharr TxDOT officials said the new two-lane connector road from Edinburg to McAllen will open to traffic to accommodate the traffic diversion.
“We’re going to put two lanes of traffic on that direct connector to have continuous movement as we build direct connectors three, two, and one at a later time,” said Pedro Alvarez, Pharr District Engineer for TxDOT.
But in mid-July TxDOT will close the overpass that takes drivers from Edinburg to the eastern part of the county.
Instead, drivers headed eastward will stay on the left lane headed toward McAllen and then go under the Sugar Road underpass which will merge with the expressway, and then continue east.
TxDot will have electronic road signs and other signage on the road to alert drivers.
TxDOT officials advised that there are ways drivers can avoid the construction areas all together.
“Utilizing state Highway 495 is an example ,” Alvarez said. “ In the Edinburg area, there are various state roadways that can be utilized as alternative routes to get outside of the construction zone from 2nd St. in McAllen to FM 2557 in San Juan.”
The detour through Sugar Road underpass will last for the next eight months.
The reconstruction of the Interstate-2 and Interstate 69C interchange will make traffic improvements in Pharr, McAllen, and San Juan.