RIO HONDO – Miles of blacktop have replaced the dirt road on FM 106, which will eventually lead to the second causeway.

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FM 106 near Rio Hondo was formerly a county road. In 2015, the Texas Department of Transportation took it over and began construction. TxDOT spokesman Octavio Saenz told CHANNEL 5 NEWS the project is about 55 percent complete now. Last year, Cameron County officials said the construction would help facilitate the way toward a second causeway.

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Many parts of the road remain closed to thru traffic. In an earlier interview, Saenz said the completion is expected around April 2018.

The estimated total cost of the project is about $16 million.