A backhoe was reported stolen in Progreso last week and has not been seen since.

"At this point, we're asking for anybody with information to help us to locate and recover this backhoe," Progreso Interim Police Chief Javier Gutierrez said.

The contractor, Eli Rodriguez, who is working on a project off International Boulevard, rented another backhoe in order to complete the repaving job before the first week of April.

He says he's gotten several calls from people who say they might've spotted the missing backhoe, but so far, it hasn't turned up.

The project includes new underground drainage along Alyssa Street, Veronica Street and Dimas Street. It's paid for by Hidalgo County with matching funds from the city of Progreso.

At the end of the day, it's residents in the subdivision near the corners of Melone Drive and International Boulevard that are most impacted by the theft.

"When we got the equipment stolen, gosh, you know, at the end of the day we finally got this position, we're fixing the roads and the community of Progreso, even they were a little heartbroken for us because finally the roads are getting fixed," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said the rented backhoe costs $1,200 a day, money that can quickly add up in the final weeks of this project.

The Progreso Police Department is also investigating the theft. They're asking anyone with information to call the department at 956-565-9266.