A portion of a proposed 9-mile long relief route for drivers in western Hidalgo County is now open, the Texas Department of Transportation announced.

Phase two of the U.S. 83 Relief Route opened on Friday, according to a TxDOT news release.

Once completed, the relief route will ease traffic issues in the cities of Peñitas, La Joya and Sullivan City by giving drivers the option of driving through a U.S. 83 Business District or traveling on a new freeway corridor.

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First announced in 2018, the $200 million project includes the building of four direct connectors, main lanes and frontage roads over La Joya Lake and a main lane overpasses at FM 2221, Tom Gill Road, and Liberty Boulevard, according to the release.

A wildlife crossing is also being constructed under U.S. 83 on the west end of the project limits.

Phase two of the project opens the eastbound and westbound U.S. 83 main lanes and frontage roads from the U.S. 83 west connector in Peñitas —located east of Showers Road — to Jara Chinas Road, the news release stated.

The westbound U.S. 83 frontage road between FM 2221 and the U.S. 83 East connector in Sullivan City also opened as part of the phase.

Phase three, the last phase of the project, consists of building the main lanes west of FM 2221. It’s projected to be completed in early 2024.