Three major road projects are moving ahead in Texas. One project is for a 19km stretch of highway in Hidalgo County. Another project is for a 14.4km stretch of highway close to Dallas. The third project will improve the congested I-35 route in Austin along a 14.4km section.
The project in Hidalgo County is worth US$281 million and is for a tolled road stretch featuring two lanes in either direction. The road will lie between the Pharr International Bridge, which spans the Rio Grande River and connects with Mexico to the Anzalduas Bridge in Mission. Building the new tolled link is expected to take until 2026. The work will improve transport between Texas and Mexico, boosting trade between the two nations. The work should take 24 months to complete and is being paid for through a loan worth $63 million from the North American Development Bank, which will be repaid out of toll revenue.
Meanwhile, another project will see widening work being carried out to the North Dallas Tollway. The project is costing $127 million and should commence in September 2022. The project includes widening 22 bridges, building new on/off ramps and work to a number of overpasses.
And work will start shortly on the I-35 widening project in Austin. The project is worth $548 million and is required to address heavy congestion on the route. An additional two lanes for high occupancy vehicles will be added in either direction. The work will be carried out between the interchanges with SH 71 and SH 45 Southeast. This section runs through the centre of Austin and is in desperate need of improvement as it is one of the most congested highway stretches in Texas.
