PHARR, Texas - State Rep. Terry Canales of Edinburg is urging cities in Hidalgo County that have international bridges to oppose the preferred choice of his hometown over where to locate the interchange for State Highway 68 and U.S. 281.
SH 68 is a north-south connector being developed by the Texas Department of Transportation to keep trucks away from urban areas. It will cross Expressway 83 at Donna and connect to 281 north of Edinburg. The City of Edinburg wants TxDOT to connect SH 68 with U.S. 281 at the current Farm to Market 490 interchange with 281. Canales said that is an absurd proposal because it will mean trucks will have to negotiate traffic lights when they enter or exit SH 68.
Canales, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, supports connecting 68 and 281 further north at a location TxDOT calls Design Modification No. 7. If this was to happen there would be a seamless connection with not a traffic light in sight.
Canales held a press conference at the Pharr Once Center to urge the cities of McAllen, Mission, Pharr, Donna, Weslaco and Progreso to sign a resolution opposed to the route favored by Edinburg. He said he cannot fight for his favored route because he has to leave town to care for one of his children. He left sample copies of a resolution for the cities to adopt and sign.
Following the press conference, Canales gave an interview to reporters outside the Pharr One Center. Here is a video recording of the interview:
Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza was in the audience to hear Canales’ remarks at the press conference. He responded to the House chairman in an interview with reporters following the press conference. Here is a video recording of the interview:
Here is a copy of the sample resolution Canales left with the cities of McAllen, Mission, Pharr, Donna, Weslaco and Progreso:
CITY OF (insert city name here)
Resolution No. (Insert resolution # here)
SH 68 and DESIGN MODIFICATION ROUTE NO. 7
WHEREAS, the City of (insert city name here) is home to the (insert bridge name here) Bridge, an International Port of Entry serving the entire Rio Grande Valley and the state of Texas; and
WHEREAS, the City of (insert city name here), because of that, International Port of Entry, has a vested interest in the proposed SH 68 Corridor, which merges with the 365 Tollway and the International Bridge Corridor; and
WHEREAS, the City deems it necessary and appropriate to weigh in on the importance of the Northern most portion of this commercial corridor;
WHEREAS, TxDOT has formulated several proposed routes: and
WHEREAS, the City believes that TXDOT Design Modification NO. 7 attached hereto as Exhibit “A” would best serve the region, in promoting safety and the efficient flow of commercial traffic, both to and from the five international ports of entry;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
THAT the City requests that TxDOT consider constructing the Northern portion of SH 69 Commercial Corridor according to the TxDOT Design Modification No. 7 plans. If that is not possible, the City requests that TxDOT find another alternative to the Northern portion of the corridor that does not ultimately use the 490/281 intersection as the primary connector of the corridor system.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED ON (insert date here), 2024
CITY of (insert city name here)
Mayor, City of (insert city name here)
ATTEST:
City Secretary
Chairman Canales also provided the media with a copy of a letter he sent Oct. 15 to Marc D. Williams, TxDOT’s executive director. Here is a copy of the letter:
Terry Canales
District 40
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Marc D. Williams
Executive Director
Texas Department of Transportation
125 East 11th Street
Austin, TX, 78701,
Marc.Williams@txdot.gov
Re: SH 68/US 281 Interchange
Dear Mr. Williams,
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your service, professionalism, responsiveness and unwavering commitments of the people of Texas, particularly to South Texas - a historically underserved region. Additionally, I would like to express these exact sentiments about the TxDOT Pharr District team and in particular Pete Alvarez, the District Engineer.
Since my election in 2013 Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa inspired me to look at my work in the legislature through the lens of “regionalism,” an approach that prioritizes representing the entirety of the Rio Grande Valley as opposed to having tunnel vision and focusing on our legislative districts alone.
Since then, our delegation has tirelessly worked together and has accomplished what would have otherwise been impossible, including, but not limited to, merging our flagship universities into UTRGV, now the second highest funded institution in the UT System, and consolidating our MPOs, making us the fifth-largest MPO in Texas.
These efforts have funneled billions - not just millions - of dollars, into the region, driving one of the state's fastest-growing and most dynamic economies.
A key contributor to this success is our region's role as home to some of the country's largest international ports of entry, which facilitate hundreds of billions of dollars in trade. These ports, along with unprecedented population growth, come with significant challenges and responsibilities.
Although TxDOT has developed comprehensive future plans, our region struggles to build the infrastructure fast enough to keep pace with the rapid growth of our area.
One of our greatest successes - and challenges - lies in our international bridges. These bridges generate hundreds of billions in trade, and are essential, not only to our booming Texas economy, but to our nation's supply chain.
At the heart of these greatest challenges is the simple fact that these economic engines come with an extraordinary amount of commercial truck traffic.
To manage this commercial traffic, TxDOT has planned and is currently constructing two key infrastructure segments: the International Bridge, Trade Corridor (IBTC), and Highway 365. These segments are critical, as these two segments will not only serve the five international ports of entry and help manage millions of commercial truck crossings, but will eventually merge with State Highway 68 which runs North and South.
This commercial corridor has been the focus of my entire legislative career and is perhaps the most important infrastructure initiative for our region, the state, and possibly the nation.
As we progress towards the completion of this monumental project, a critical design decision remains unresolved: how and where SH 68 will merge with US 281. TxDOT has proposed several options, and the City of Edinburg has adopted a resolution supporting the route that merges SH 68 with the eastern portion of Farm to Market 490 at its intersection with US 281. I must respectfully disagree with this proposal.
This corridor is, without question, a regional project. I have spoken with the mayors of McAllen, Mission, Pharr, Donna and Progresso - all cities with interests in international bridges - and none had seen TxDOT’s proposed options or had the opportunity to weigh in on this important decision.
Moreover, based upon my conversations with the Pharr District Engineer, TxDOT is conducting studies on the commercial traffic capacity of the 490 interchange.
There are two significant issues with the 490 option. First, the interchange lies directly in the path of the only runway at the Edinburg Airport, limiting any future vertical expansion due to FAA regulations. Secondly, because of the inability to expand vertically, every commercial vehicle will be required to stop at a traffic light before merging with US 281, which could result in significant delays, contrary to the corridor’s intended purpose.
Given these concerns, I'm formally requesting a comprehensive study of this interchange’s current and future commercial traffic to ensure it can handle the traffic efficiently and safely.
Furthermore, it is important to note that the Pharr International Bridge and the Anzalduas International Bridge have planned expansions, and more growth is inevitable. Additionally, the Pharr International Bridge, which has over seven thousand commercial truck crossings daily, is currently beginning the construction of an expansion that would double the aforementioned capacity.
With all this in mind, I am respectfully requesting that before TxDOT makes any final decisions regarding the SH 68/US 281 interchange, that it embraces Senator Hinojosa’s vision of regionalism. This would involve engaging the leadership of each city with a vested interest in an international bridge or port of entry to ensure the best decision for the entire region.
As you know, Edinburg is the anchor of my legislative district and a four-time recipient of the prestigious All-America City award. I deeply respect Mayor Garza and the city Council, who are exemplary public servants.
As such, writing this letter in opposition to a resolution passed by the City is difficult, but it is the right thing to do in the spirit of regionalism.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to working with you and to ensure the best outcome for the region and the state of Texas.
Very truly yours,
Terry Canales
State Representative House District 40
Transportation Committee, Chair
