Buckle up, South Texas, a slate of lane closures and reductions will impact drivers at one of the most critical junctures of Interstate 2 in the Rio Grande Valley this week.
The maintenance work will impact the Pharr Interchange, which connects Interstate 2 with Interstate 69 C, according to Dragaos-Pulice Joint Venture, the contractor that the Texas Department of Transportation has tasked with building and maintaining the structure. The interchange is a crucial node for Valley traffic since it serves as the convergence point for motorists traveling between McAllen and the Upper Valley and Harlingen, Brownsville and the rest of the Lower Valley, as well as anyone traveling to Edinburg or heading out of the Valley along U.S. 281.
Traffic flows over the Jackson Road overpass at the Pharr interchange on Monday, July 13, 2026. The bridge will be partially closed through July 26 as crews conduct maintenance at the interchange. (Ray Pedraza/Courtesy TxDOT)
Pharr interchange will see major closures through July
On Sunday, July 19, all westbound lanes of the interchange will be closed in Pharr. That also includes the two-lane Edinburg to McAllen flyover bridge.
“Traffic will be diverted to exit at Sugar Road and will be able to re-enter the main lanes at the Jackson Road entrance ramp,” Dragados-Pulice officials said in a news release.
Additionally, partial lane closures will impact traffic for the next two weeks – from Monday, July 13 through Sunday, July 26.
The westbound main lanes of I-2 “will be continuously reduced to two lanes between Cage Boulevard and Jackson Road,” over the course of those two weeks. Additionally, the direct connector from Edinburg to McAllen “will also be reduced to a single lane during this time, impacting southbound I-69C traffic at the interchange,” officials said.
Further, the westbound I-2 entrance ramp at Veterans Boulevard will also remain closed through July 26. Dragados-Pulice said drivers should “expect delays” and make plans to take alternate routes.
TxDOT to close Interstate 2 travel lanes in the Mid-Valley
About 20 miles east, highway maintenance will cause additional traffic delays for drivers in the Mid-Valley as TxDOT conducts repairs on “bridge approaches and departures” on overpasses in Mercedes.
“Nightly lane closures are planned on westbound Interstate 2 (I-2) in Mercedes between Mile 1 Road and FM 1015 (International Blvd.) from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., Monday, July 13 through Friday, July 17,” TxDOT said.
During the overnight closures, all traffic will be diverted to the I-2 frontage road.
This article originally published at What to know about the closures set to snarl South Texas roads through July.