TX: TxDOT opens portion of U.S. 83 Relief Route in western Hidalgo County

[rickmastfan67]

https://www.krgv.com/news/txdot-opens-portion-of-u-s-83-relief-route-in-western-hidalgo-county/

Phase two of the project opens the eastbound and westbound U.S. 83 main lanes and frontage roads from the U.S. 83 west connector in Peñitas —located east of Showers Road — to Jara Chinas Road, the news release stated.

The westbound U.S. 83 frontage road between FM 2221 and the U.S. 83 East connector in Sullivan City also opened as part of the phase.

Don't know what this might mean if any reroute of US-83 has happened yet, or any extension of I-2.

At minimum, if the US-83 reroute/I-2 extension isn't official yet, at least a new point from where the new route diverts from US-83 should at this time be added.

[rickmastfan67]

On a side note, do we 'possibly' have I-2 going 1 exit too far as well?  All signage from the ramps seems to indicate I-2 really starts @ Exit 131, not 130.

EB:
@ Future US-83/83Business interchange (no I-2 shield)
@ Exit 131 (I-2 shield present)

WB:
@ Exit 133 (I-2 shield present)
@ Exit 131 (no I-2 shield)

[yakra]

Gonna wait till the EB frontage road opens and traffic can pass along the new route uninterrupted in both directions, like I did for the US77 Driscoll bypass.
In the meantime, that'll allow some opportunity for imagery and reports from the field to trickle in.

ISTR there was some confusion/back-n-forth with AASHTO WRT the orphaned section of US83 between the bypass and the existing end of US83BusMcA, which may or may not be redesignated as US83Spr, which may or may not be signed. So this'll be one thing to get sorted.

On a side note, do we 'possibly' have I-2 going 1 exit too far as well?  All signage from the ramps seems to indicate I-2 really starts @ Exit 131, not 130.

https://www.google.com/maps/@26.2380697,-98.4113856,3a,15y,54.07h,95.98t/data=!3m9!1e1!3m7!1swbxXROKy4f2i-k4ujgP_rw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!9m2!1b1!2i41?entry=ttu
Grid map & txdot-roadways_tx shapefiles have the end at Showers Rd. Styatewide Planning Map hasn't been working for me lately, but TMK these shapefiles consistently agree with it.
TxDOT_Highway_Designations shapefiles have the end W of Western View Rd near where the frontage roads began (hereish), but tomato/tomato.
Going no-build.

[rickmastfan67]

ISTR there was some confusion/back-n-forth with AASHTO WRT the orphaned section of US83 between the bypass and the existing end of US83BusMcA, which may or may not be redesignated as US83Spr, which may or may not be signed. So this'll be one thing to get sorted.

Don't know if this helps or not.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xa8VoviJpuHL4Adi9

[yakra]

It's looking like the (potential) spur won't be signed as such.
Another assembly.
And oopsie, some signs got installed incorrectly.

[rickmastfan67]

So, with that video you linked to over on AARoads, it shows the frontage roads are fully open along the bypass to complete the 'under-construction' mainlines connection back to the old road.

I think that's enough justification to at least do the US-83 reroute, right yakra?

[yakra]

That's WB; I had meant to wait for the EB frontage roads. That said,

Gonna wait till the EB frontage road opens and traffic can pass along the new route uninterrupted in both directions, like I did for the US77 Driscoll bypass.

I remembered wrong. I updated US77 & added US77BusDri on 2022-02-24, unaware of the situation with the SB bypass -- which didn't open until at least 2023-08-16.

Good enough. I'll make the changes now, so as not have to worry about it later, or keep obsessively Googling looking for the opening.
https://github.com/TravelMapping/HighwayData/pull/6896