McAllen Working on Improvement of Its Roadways and Intersections

It’s no secret to anyone who drives a car or truck in McAllen, Texas, that there is plenty of roadwork going on around Hidalgo County. While we can all look forward to better roads in 2021 and beyond, until then we are dealing with road closures and a greater potential for work zone and intersection accidents.

When a construction zone requires closing lanes of traffic or diverting traffic to temporary routes this creates a bottleneck that causes traffic congestion that can contribute to motor vehicle accidents. The potential for accidents in a highway work zone increases when a commercial truck passes through the area. A large truck requires greater distance than other vehicles to stop. A moment’s inattentiveness by a truck driver, whether due to fatigue, distraction or exceeding the speed limit, can allow a tractor-trailer to barrel into a work zone and cause a serious accident and injuries.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) says about 40 percent of motor vehicle accidents in the United States are intersection-related crashes. When road construction is occurring at intersections and traffic patterns are disrupted, they are more dangerous.

Almost all intersection accidents are caused by driver error, including not looking adequately before pulling ahead, distracted driving, Illegal maneuvers, such as running red lights or stop signs, driving too fast for conditions, and aggressive driving.

The McAllen truck accident attorneys at Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C. assist injured drivers, pedestrians and others with truck accident claims. We have successfully handled thousands of accident cases, including many for McAllen area residents injured in car and truck crashes.

Current and Planned Road Projects in McAllen and Hidalgo County

Here are some of the road construction projects underway or planned for McAllen and Hidalgo County:

I-2/I-69C Interchange Project. This has led to the Sugar Road exit ramp on westbound I-2 being closed at the start of October for an estimated two years. Improvements in this 7.8-mile project include:
- Full reconstruction of the I-2/I-69C Interchange to include two-lane direct connectors in all four directions
- Reconstruction and widening of the I-2 general purpose lanes from six to eight lanes (four in each direction)
- Operational improvements, including the reconfiguration of main lane ramps on I-2 from 2nd Street to FM 2557 (S. Steward Road) and improvements to the approaches and departures to and from the direct connectors

Here’s a link for keeping up with lane closures during the I-2/I-69C Interchange Project.

Once completed in late 2022, the $303 million I-2/I-69C interchange project will reduce travel time and improve safety and traffic operations, the contractor says.

Northgate Lane at Bicentennial Boulevard Intersection. This project has shut down traffic between 23rd Street and Main Street since August 17 and the closure has recently been extended to the end of October. This is part of the Bicentennial Extension Project, which is constructing an additional 2.8 miles of Bicentennial Avenue from Trenton Road to SH 107. Improvements are to include a four-lane curb and gutter roadway with center lanes at each intersection.
Dicker Road. This project has closed Dicker Road between Jackson Road (FM 2061) and McColl Road (FM 3062) since April and will last through November 20, according to the most recently announced plans. The $21 million project expands the two-lane highway to five lanes (two in each direction, plus a turn lane). The project will also widen the existing South Floodway Channel bridge and roadway. In February, residents of McAllen were evacuated after a third-party contractor damaged a gas line on Dicker Road between 23rd Street and 10th Street.
State Highway 68. This major road construction project is still in the planning stages. The plan calls for construction of a four-lane divided rural highway with future main lanes and overpasses in eastern Hidalgo County from U.S. 83/I-2 to U.S. 281/I-69C. The purpose of the SH 68 project is to accommodate population growth and higher traffic volumes, while relieving the burden on the limited number of existing north-south roadways and providing an alternate north-south evacuation route during emergencies, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

The $180 million SH 68 project is part of $750 million allocated for Hidalgo County projects in the state Unified Transportation Plan (UTP) adopted in September 2019, according to The Monitor. Much of the $750 million is linked to what is called the Hidalgo County Loop, a long-discussed project that will add 120 miles of freeway to relieve traffic congestion by routing traffic north of I-2/Expressway 83, the report says.

365 Tollway Project. This is a planned 17.4-mile project to construct a new roadway from FM 1016 / Conway Avenue to U.S. 281 / Military Highway between two crucial ports of entry within Hidalgo County (Anzalduas International Bridge and Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge). In 2018, TxDOT commissioners placed a moratorium on any new toll roads in the state but allowed projects in the planning stages that already had funding to proceed. When completed, the 365 Tollway is expected to improve the flow of commercial truck traffic to and from Mexico.

Contact a Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyer Today

When truck or car drivers fail to take proper precautions around road construction and cause accidents that injure other people and property, the at-fault motorist or other parties can and should be held accountable. The injury attorneys at Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C. care deeply about the families of McAllen who come to us for help after finding themselves in desperate circumstances because of a serious accident.

We can offer you a free initial legal consultation and handle your personal injury claim on a contingency fee basis. This means you will not have any upfront costs and will not owe us a legal fee unless we win your road construction accident case.

Herrman & Herrman has the resources and know-how to conduct a thorough investigation of your road construction accident and injuries, identify all potentially responsible parties, and demand the full compensation to help you move forward with your life.