Construction near the intersection of US 75 and President George Bush Turnpike will undergo two more major stages before roadway conditions begin to improve and congestion near downtown Plano is relieved, a Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson said.

“[Crews] are going to be shutting down half of the [Plano Parkway] bridge and reconstructing it. … There is very limited east-west locations going across [US] 75, so we are kind of limited to 15th Street and Plano Parkway itself,” Plano Transportation Engineering Manager Lloyd Neal said.

The construction, which is projected to last into early 2019, includes the expansion of the exit and entrance ramps to and from US 75 and PGBT as well as the reconstruction of the Plano Parkway bridge over US 75.

The Plano Parkway bridge is next in line to begin construction with an anticipated project start date of Nov. 11.

Crews will begin demolishing and rebuilding half of the Plano Parkway bridge, causing both directions of traffic to be diverted to two lanes on the operational half of the bridge, TxDOT spokesperson Ryan LaFontaine said. Crews will also close the southbound high-occupancy vehicle lanes on US 75 .

Once construction is complete on the first half of the bridge, crews will divert traffic to the renovated side and begin demolishing and rebuilding the other side. The bridge construction will allow room for lanes to be added to the entrance and exit ramps to and from PGBT, LaFontaine said.

The PGBT to northbound US 75 ramp construction also includes an additional lane for motorists traveling on the access road to bypass traffic along the Plano Parkway intersection.

Crews have already completed construction of exit and entrance ramps onto US 75 located just south of 15th Street.

More information on this project and how it will affect local Plano businesses can be found here.