San Carlos, TX (KRGV) — Crews have started a $1 million project on Villarreal Avenue in the area of San Carlos east of Edinburg that will rebuild the road and add drainage, according to Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1.

Channel 5 News was along Villarreal Avenue near Highway 107 in San Carlos, where crews have started removing old asphalt to make way for new pavement.

Paulina Rodriguez has lived along Villarreal Avenue for more than 20 years. She says heavy rain often leaves water with nowhere to go and floods parts of the neighborhood.

"The ground was completely covered; there wasn't even a little space for the water to drain away," Rodriguez said. "It would get clogged with those plastic storm drains and they were all blocked."

Rodriguez says the flooding has affected more than just her property.

"My neighbor, all that water ruined his washer and dryer and everyone else is complaining, too," Rodriguez said.

The work is funded by a $1 million grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture. The project covers Villarreal Avenue from State Highway 107 to Tex-Mex Road and includes new pavement and drainage ditches on both sides of the street.

“It was needed because the existing drainage, and the existing roadside swales were not connected to an outfall," Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 Assistant General Manager Yvette Barrera said. "So now it's going to be able to provide a way to have that stormwater drain much faster."

Barrera said the road and drainage improvements are only part of the project. Crews will also replace a lift station that has been in place for more than 30 years.

Valinda Reyes with Hidalgo County Precinct No. 4 says the aging equipment has required frequent repairs and no longer operates efficiently. About 30 homes are expected to benefit from the improvements.

The county says work on the lift station is expected to begin next week. The entire project is expected to be completed by July of next year.

The county says people living in the area might experience temporary disruptions during construction.

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