(San Benito News/Ray Quiroga)
Cameron County officials announced the completion of Phase II South Parallel Corridor which links Paso Real to Sam Houston Blvd. in San Benito. The road connecting through the community opened Friday, January 5, 2024.
According to County officials, this particular project consisted of the construction of a new, two-lane rural roadway from FM 509 (Paso Real) to FM 2520 (Sam Houston Road) with an approximate length of 3.06 miles.
The project included grading, asphaltic concrete pavement, lime treated subgrade, flexible base, flashing beacons, bridge, culvert structures, irrigation structures, riprap, signing, delineation and pavement markings.
“I’m thrilled that Cameron County has completed yet another important transportation project that will not only make commuting in and around the San Benito area easier, it will also create new opportunities for economic development. My hat goes off to TxDOT and the Cameron County Department of Transportation on completing another great project,” said Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr.
Road construction and improvements began in March 2022, and finished in December 2023. This project was made possible through federal, state, and local funding, with an overall construction cost of $9,511,089.36.
In March, 2023, just over one year after breaking ground on construction, the extension of San Jose Ranch Road was officially opened to the public with a ribbon cutting ceremony by County leaders. The project resulted in a new two-lane, 29 ft. Roadway measuring .86 miles that connects Paso Real and Williams Road.
With County Commissioners and select City officials in attendance, the construction was praised for its swift nature and high quality.
“It’s a beautiful looking road and will make life easier for residents of our County,” said Treviño. “These little projects can get overlooked at times, but they make life just a little bit easier for a group of people… this project was completed ahead of time and under budget, which is basically unheard of.”
The reported total cost of the project was just under $2 million and was handled by the Cameron County Department of Transportation. It is the latest construction to be finished in the area as the initial road was completed less than eight years ago. There is a parallel corridor project that is expected to be completed by 2024.
According to the Cameron County Department of construction, the project was finished 21 days ahead of schedule and approximately 2% under budget. In addition to providing a continuous east-west route from Williams Road to Paso Real, the roadway also connects to the newly completed TxDOT FM 1846 project.
“It really is a major deal for my family because it cuts down the time to take my kids to school and will make it a little smoother for me to get to work,” said San Benito native Eliza Nunez. “It reminds us that they care about the people living on the outskirts of the City as well.”
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