City of El Paso and its partners, including customs officials on both sides of the border and industry stakeholders, announced Friday that they have developed a solution to help reduce congestion on Loop 375 and adjacent roadways near the Ysleta Port of Entry.
Starting Monday, March 22, 2021, the City of El Paso will begin implementing a new traffic control program to better balance traffic on the two lanes that lead up to the port of entry along Winn Road.
Officials share that the change aims to alleviate the extreme traffic tie ups recently experienced in the area while encouraging commercial vehicles to use of the new automated inspection system implemented by Mexican customs.
“Lane assignments are being implemented as part of the plan which will allow for commercial traffic to be separated for faster processing,” city officials said. “The plan was originally proposed by Mexican customs working in coordination with industry stakeholders.”
To help deal with the heavy traffic congestion near the newly expanded Winn Road, the City says they will continue to work with its partners and have already taken extra measures that include increased traffic control assistance from police, use of signage to help guide heavy trucks and expanded the toll booth schedules to increase throughput and help reduce southbound wait times. City officials say the extra measures will remain in place until traffic conditions improve.
Earlier this month, the City of El Paso opened the Winn Road extension to serve as a new route for commercial freight vehicles crossing at the Ysleta port.
Officials share that the $13.9 million project extended and widened Winn Road from Pan American Drive to Rio del Norte Drive and included improvements to Pan American Drive from Loop 375 to Winn Road such as raised medians, illumination, addition of curb and gutter, resurfacing of existing pavement, among other amenities.
·        Before Winn Road extension and Pan American improvements: Trucks used two lanes, containing 0.2 miles of queuing capacity before traffic reached Loop 375.
·        After Winn Road extension and Pan American improvements: the queuing capacity increased to approximately 4.2 miles between the port of entry (booths into Mexico) and Loop 375.
