Texas Border Business
1.34 miles north of the Willacy/Kenedy County line, a significant construction project is set to commence with a groundbreaking event scheduled for Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at 9 a.m. The event will take place 9.6 miles north of State Highway 186, off of US 77.
This project is part of a broader initiative to enhance the infrastructure along US 77, with an additional $173 million slated to be awarded this fall for similar improvements from 9.6 miles north of Norias Road to 1.46 miles north of Norias Road.
“The projects in Kenedy County will feature overpasses every five miles to facilitate turnarounds for emergency vehicles and provide access to major ranches in the area,” stated Pete Alvarez, District Engineer for the TxDOT Pharr District. “Both of these projects will include two lanes in each direction with shoulders; in the future, they will have two-lane main lanes. We’re adding overpasses and frontage roads at the major ranch entrances.”
The planned improvements aim to significantly enhance the region’s safety, mobility, and connectivity. Completing this new infrastructure, which will add approximately 16 lane miles to I-69E, is expected to take three to four years.