NEAR EDINBURG – Hidalgo County residents said a subdivision is currently being built in one of the paths of proposed State Highway 68.

Some said they are uncertain if houses will have to be torn down once construction begins for the Texas Department of Transportation’s major road construction project.

Omar Mendoza lives on FM 2812 west of Val Verde Road. He said crews broke ground for a new subdivision.

“It doesn’t make sense for them to start constructing, spending all the money and going through all this when they don’t know. It doesn’t make any financial sense to me,” he said.

Mendoza said his home also lies in the path of one of three proposed routes for State Highway 68.  

 “Being that there’s a possibility that there’s a highway coming and people are going to build, construct new homes and start their lives here, yeah I think it is unfair,” he said.

TxDOT spokesperson Octavio Saenz said it’s unclear where exactly State Highway 86 will be built. He said the project is also years away from construction. Even if the site is chosen, people living in the area wouldn’t have to move for a while.

Saenz said the route will be announced late summer or early fall of 2017.

“There is no impediment into continuing your life. Or continuing to build the way you prefer to,” he said. “Of course we want to be as transparent as possible. So the routes that we have presented to the public, they’re online for everyone to view.”

Mendoza said he’ll be gone before people move into the new subdivision. He said he doesn’t like the idea of new neighbors or a nearby highway.

“Now we’re being invaded again. So time to move on, go further out, further away. Keep that peaceful feeling,” he said.

The State Highway 68 project used to have nine proposed routes. TxDOT said the remaining three were proven to have the least impact on county residents.