MCALLEN – TxDOT crews started construction on a major road project in McAllen.

The agency said Wednesday a right lane in the westbound lanes of Expressway 83 near Bicentennial Blvd. is closed for construction. The lane won’t be opened until 5 a.m. on Thursday.

The project will change the way Bicentennial Blvd. intersects with the expressway. It’s one of the major upgrades TxDOT will be doing in the area.

Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson Octavio Saenz said the interchange will look drastically different once the work is complete.

“Bicentennial goes over I-2. Now, I-2 is going to go over Bicentennial. That same height will be the same for 10th and 23rd Streets,” he said. “So, that three-mile stretch between the perimeters is between McColl and Ware Road.”

The current ramp in the area opened in 1999 to give drivers a quicker access to McAllen’s airport and La Plaza Mall. However, it was shut down 10 years later after a series of fatal crashes.

Saenz said the project is expected to take about three years to complete.

TxDOT advised drivers to depart to their destination early or find an alternate route to avoid expected delays.