[ad_1]
Senator Hinojosa is accompanied by several officials as the foundation stone is laid for the Pharr Interchange Project. Courtesy photo– Advertising –
Texas Frontier Business
By Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa
The Pharr Interchange is a major artery in the Rio Grande Valley. It connects the cities of Pharr, McAllen and Edinburgh and routes traffic north to San Antonio, west to Laredo and east to Brownsville. Since 2016 we agreed in our message to the Texas Transportation Commission that the Pharr exchange had to be reconstructed. This week we proudly welcomed J. Bruce Bugg, Jr., Chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, to the Rio Grande Valley for the groundbreaking ceremony for the Pharr Interchange Replacement Project.
Construction of what is now Pharr Interchange began almost thirty years ago. The population of Hidalgo County at the time was 384,000 and the cost of the project was $ 28 million. In December 1993, Governor Ann Richards was on the RGV to celebrate the completion of the Pharr Interchange Project. At the time, this junction was the largest transport infrastructure project in the region and much needed given the expected volume of traffic that would result from increased trade resulting from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
By 2010, the population in Hidalgo County had doubled to 775,000. The Pharr Interchange has already become a problem given the significant population growth and increased traffic. It was a huge bottleneck and severely congested, resulting in lost time, but also public safety concerns given the role exchanges play in hurricane evacuations. In early 2016, solving this problem became a priority.
Earlier this year, as then vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and a member of the Transportation Committee, I invited Tryon Lewis, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, to the RGV. He met with our local officials to find out about the rapid growth in Hidalgo County and the need for additional investments in our transport infrastructure. Later that year in Austin, Mayor Darling, Mayor Hernandez, along with Hidalgo County officials, held another meeting with Chairman Lewis to keep track of the project’s funding.
In February 2017, I was proud to announce that the Texas Transportation Commission has taken steps to kick-start the Pharr Interchange Reconstruction project by approving $ 150 million in funding. In May 2018, the Transport Commission, headed by President Bugg, approved a tender to begin planning and designing the project. In June 2019, TxDOT selected Dragados-Pulice as the project designer, who is responsible for the project, as well as its construction and maintenance. The Transportation Commission also approved the $ 303 million required to fully fund the project, again making the Pharr Interchange the most expensive single transportation project in Hidalgo County.
– Advertising –
The Pharr Interchange Project envisages a complete reconstruction of the US 83 / US 281 interchange to accommodate two-lane direct connections in all four directions. The multi-purpose lanes of US 83 will be converted and / or ramps extended to US 83 from 2nd Street to FM 2557 from six to eight non-toll multi-purpose lanes (four in each direction) from 2nd Street to the US 83 / US 281 interchange (S. Stewart Road) and improvements to the access and exit points to and from the direct connections along US 281 from Nolana Loop to US 83 in McAllen, Pharr and San Juan.
The effort to secure everything necessary for a project of this size requires teamwork. We have a strong legislative delegation, as at the time this project was funded I was Senate Vice Chairman of Finance, Oscar Longoria Vice Chairman of the Budget, Mando Martinez Vice Chairman of House Transportation, Sergio Munoz Member of House Appropriations, Bobby Guerra was member of House State Affairs, and we now have Terry Canales as Chairman of House Transportation. It also requires the support of local leaders and Mayor Darling, Mayor Hernandez and Mayor Molina were strong supporters and worked tirelessly with the MPO to make this project a priority. Equally important was the support of the state leadership, Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who understand the Valley’s role in supporting the Texan economy.
The planned completion of the reconstruction of the Pharr motorway junction is in December 2023. At that time, we will celebrate the completion of the project and the 30th anniversary of the motorway junction. This project will not only clear our current traffic jam, it will also improve safety and help with necessary evacuations as well as better prepare us for future growth. This project is helping our Texan and local economies by creating jobs and improving the quality of life for our RGV residents.
[ad_2]
