McAllen to close Nolana-Bicentennial intersection Aug. 1

McALLEN — McAllen plans to close Nolana Avenue at the intersection with Bicentennial Boulevard during the first week of August while construction crews replace a bridge.

Starting Aug. 1, traffic will be diverted south onto Harvey Drive and north onto Dove Avenue. Workers will finish demolishing a small bridge at the intersection and reopen Nolana on Aug. 7, said Mario Cruz, the city’s drainage engineer.

The intersection of Nolana and Bicentennial has become a construction hotspot this summer. Crews began repaving Nolana earlier this month, moving from 23rd Street east toward Jackson Road. At the same time, a city contractor has been working to extend Bicentennial north to Trenton Road and other workers have been replacing the bridge.

When the repaving project finishes, Nolana will have seven lanes between Jackson and 23rd Street, according to a city news release. Three lanes will run each way, with a turn lane in the middle.

Both alternate routes should be able to accommodate the extra traffic while the intersection is closed, said Patrizia Longoria, McAllen’s deputy director of traffic operations. She suggested drivers budget extra time, and asked for patience until the intersection reopens.

The bridge demolition itself will be a small-scale affair, accomplished with jackhammers and cranes, Cruz said.

“It’s not going to be the Fourth of July out there,” Cruz said.

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Dave Hendricks covers McAllen and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4452.