Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González
February 24, 2026- This morning, McAllen City officials held a groundbreaking ceremony at 10th Street and Auburn Avenue in the North Park Village Phase II parking lot to mark the start of the McAllen Lateral Channel Improvements Project. The event included Mayor Javier Villalobos, the City Commission, City Manager Isaac J. Tawil, and Engineering Director Eduardo Mendoza.
The project is intended to expand stormwater conveyance and storage capacity along a section of the McAllen Lateral Drainage Channel between the Morris and Northeast Regional Stormwater Detention Facilities, the city reported. The improvements are designed to help move stormwater more efficiently and reduce flooding risk.
Construction work includes expanding the drainage ditch by excavating nearly 150,000 cubic yards of earth and replacing a single-span bridge at North 2nd Street. The city also reported plans to install approximately 2,000 feet of new storm drainage pipe and 10,000 square yards of concrete erosion protection.
Additional improvements include construction of a hike-and-bike trail to provide connectivity along North 10th Street and North 2nd Street, as well as two below-grade road crossings. City project displays identified improvement areas along Main Street at Auburn Avenue, near 10th Street, near 2nd Street, and at the downstream end of the channel.
The total cost of the project is $5,689,125.11 and is funded by the Drainage Fee Fund, according to the city. Cruz-Hogan Consultants, Inc. is the project engineer, and E-CON Group, LLC is the contractor.
Construction began in December 2025 and is expected to take approximately 18 months, with completion anticipated in May 2027, the city reported.
