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To kick off this year’s Neon Desert Music Festival, local musicians will perform on El Paso’s Streetcars on Saturday and Sunday evening.

“Neon Desert Music Festival has always brought a wide range of musical talent to El Paso, and we are excited to partner with them to create new programming on the El Paso Streetcar,” said Tracey Jerome, Managing Director of the Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, Libraries and Tourism. “This is a fun way to introduce audiences to our talented local musicians as well as creating opportunities for a new performance venue.”

On Saturday a mariachi quartet will play from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., and on Sunday, Carla Riojas will play from 5 to 6 p.m.

The streetcar serenades will entertain festival goers as they ride from the Glory Road Transit Center to the festival located in Downtown El Paso.

“The Streetcar summer schedule caters to events along the downtown and uptown areas. This will help alleviate traffic jams during big events and encourage Park+Ride at Glory Road and Union Plaza Transit Centers,” said Jay Banasiak, Sun Metro Director.

Neon Desert will take place in Downtown El Paso on Saturday May 25 and Sunday May 26. Visitors attending Neon Desert are encouraged to park and ride the El Paso Streetcar to the event. Festival goers will be able to ride the Streetcar free with festival credentials.

The Streetcar will be in service from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. in order to accommodate festival hours.

Early Sunday morning, Sun Metro Streetcar Staff, along with City of El Paso first responders, will conduct an El Paso Streetcar Emergency Drill on Franklin Avenue between Oregon Street and Mesa Street to prepare for real-world streetcar operations.

“These drills are important as the streetcar is completely new to the Police and Fire Department, as well as the City of El Paso, and present unique challenges,” says Sun Metro Assistant Director of Streetcar Operations Carl Jackson.

Officials add that the purpose of the exercise is to test operational coordination and preparedness of El Paso Streetcar and first responder personnel in the event of an incident involving a streetcar.

“The exercise will simulate a streetcar accident caused by a collision between an El Paso Streetcar vehicle with passengers and an automobile. Sun Metro Streetcar personnel along with the El Paso Police Department and El Paso Fire Department and EMS will coordinate and practice their evacuation and emergency protocols for dealing with such incident.”

During the drill, there will be significant emergency personnel on-site on Franklin Avenue and residents are advised that this is only a drill and to use caution when traveling along the area of the drill.

This is the first full-scale field exercise for El Paso Streetcar. A minimum of two drills are required annually by the Federal Transit Administration.

The exercise will take place between 6:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m.

Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists should anticipate new temporary traffic patterns in the coming days as rail work related to the El Paso Streetcar Projects continues to advance toward its conclusion, according to the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority.

Beginning on Tuesday, July 25, 2017, traffic on Mesa Street will shift from the inside lanes to the outside lanes at the intersection with Glory Road/Baltimore Drive. Crews from Paso del Norte Trackworks have completed the first two phases of rail work in the intersection.

Traffic will remain reduced to a single lane in each direction through late August.

Baltimore Drive remains closed to thru traffic between Stanton Street and Mesa Street while Glory Road remains closed to thru traffic between Mesa Street and Oregon Street.

Motorists seeking the access the Glory Road Parking Garage can continue to do so via Oregon Street. Pedestrians are encouraged to cross Mesa Street at Cincinnati Street or at the crosswalk adjacent to the Don Haskins Center.

Beginning during the week of July 31, 2017, two-way traffic on Stanton Street between Yandell Drive and Schuster Avenue will shift from the west side of the street to the east side of the street. With the exception of Nevada Avenue, all cross streets are open at Stanton.

The following traffic impacts will remain in place during the week of July 24, 2017:

Complete Closures

• Stanton Street between Franklin Avenue and Wyoming Avenue
• Oregon Street between Franklin Avenue and Wyoming Avenue
• Nevada Street immediately west of Oregon Street
• Rio Grande Avenue immediately east of Oregon Street
• Crosby Avenue immediately west of Mesa Street (July 24 only)

Lane Restrictions

• Yandell Drive between Kansas Street and Santa Fe Street
• Wyoming Avenue between Kansas Street and Santa Fe Street
• Oregon Street between Yandell Drive and Wyoming Avenue
• Santa Fe Street between Father Rahm Avenue and 4^th Avenue
• Missouri Avenue at Oregon Street
• Missouri Avenue at Stanton Street

Two important north-south thoroughfares will re-open to two-way traffic by the end of this week, while lane restrictions will expand on Mesa Street as work at Glory Road/Baltimore Drive continues next week, according to the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority.

Beginning at 6 am on Wednesday, July 5, 2017, Mesa Street will be reduced to one lane in each direction at Glory Road/Baltimore Drive as work there enters Phase II.

In this phase, which lasts approximately three weeks, traffic will flow in a single inside lane in each direction. During Phase III, which lasts approximately four weeks, traffic will flow in a single outside lane in each direction.

During Phases II and III, Glory Road will remain closed to thru traffic between Oregon Street and Mesa Street while Baltimore Drive will remain closed to thru traffic between Mesa Street and Stanton Street.

These plans have been developed in coordination with the City of El Paso, Sun Metro, the Texas Department of Transportation, and the University of Texas at El Paso. While traffic will be allowed to flow in both directions on Mesa Street, motorists are encouraged to consider alternate routes such as Stanton Street and Sun Bowl Drive.

Motorists will be able to access the Glory Road Transfer Center parking garage from Glory Road via Oregon Street. Pedestrian who usually cross Mesa at Baltimore/Glory, should consider alternate crossing locations.

While traffic will remain open to north-south traffic on Mesa, thru traffic should consider alternate routes such as Sun Bowl Drive and Stanton Street.

Stanton Street will re-open to two-way traffic between Schuster Avenue and Yandell Drive by Friday, June 30, 2017. Because work will continue on Stanton Street, two-way traffic will travel on the western side of the street between Montana Avenue and Schuster Avenue.

Between Schuster Avenue and Cincinnati Avenue, northbound traffic will travel on the easternmost side of the street while southbound traffic will travel on the westernmost side.

Santa Fe Street will re-open to at least one lane in each direction between Paisano Drive and Father Rahm Avenue by Friday, June 30, 2017. Also at this time, 4^th Avenue will re-open to two-way traffic between El Paso Street and Santa Fe Street.

As work continues on the Maintenance and Storage Facility, a southbound lane restriction will remain in place on Santa Fe Street near Sun Metro’s Bert Williams Downtown Transfer Center.

The following traffic impacts will remain in place during the week of July 5, 2017:

Complete Closures

• Stanton Street between Franklin Avenue and Yandell Drive
• Oregon Street between Franklin Avenue and Yandell Drive

Lane Restrictions

• Oregon Street between Nevada Avenue and Yandell Drive
• Wyoming Avenue between Kansas Street and Santa Fe Street
• Yandell Drive between Kansas Street and Santa Fe Street

Major work related to the El Paso Streetcar project on Santa Fe Street near Sun Metro’s Burt Williams Downtown Transfer Center will enter its final phase next week, according to the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority.

To accommodate storm drain work there, lane restrictions will be in place on South El Paso Street at 4^th Avenue and 4^th Avenue will be closed to thru traffic between El Paso Street and Santa Fe Street beginning on Monday, May 22, 2017.

Also at this time, reconstruction of the intersection of 4^th Avenue and Santa Fe Street will begin. Santa Fe Street will be closed to all traffic between 4^th Avenue and Father Rahm. Santa Fe Street will be open to northbound traffic only between 3^rd Avenue and Paisano Drive

Sidewalks will remain open and temporary pedestrian crossings will be in place. This work is scheduled to be completed in 4-6 weeks.

Nevada Avenue and Rio Grande Avenue will close at Oregon Street beginning on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, so crews can lay rail through these intersections. Both streets will remain closed for approximately eight weeks. Lane restrictions remain in place on Oregon Street between California Avenue and Yandell Drive.

Stanton Street remains reduced to single northbound lane between Yandell Drive and Cincinnati Avenue as crews continue paving operations and constructing stations. Northbound traffic remains shifted to the west side of the street between Montana Avenue and Cincinnati Avenue

Intermittent closures of additional cross streets will be required as paving work continues on Stanton Street; Cross streets will re-open as paving work is completed. River, Arizona, Montana, Rim, and Kerbey will remain open at all times

Stanton Street and Oregon Street remain closed to all traffic between Yandell Drive and Wyoming Avenue as crews continue work placing rail on those overpasses. Additionally, lane restrictions remain in place on Yandell Drive and on Wyoming Avenue.

The following traffic impacts will remain in place during the week of May 22, 2017:

Lane Restrictions

• Franklin Avenue between Oregon Street and Kansas Street
• Kansas Street at Franklin Avenue
• Kansas Street between Myrtle Avenue and San Antonio Avenue
• Oregon Street between Yandell Drive and Nevada Avenue

Complete Closures

• Stanton Street between Franklin Avenue and Missouri Avenue
• Santa Fe Street between 4^th Avenue and Father Rahm Avenue

Moving Operations
Crews will require short-term lane closures at various locations along the route as they drill the final OCS pole foundations.

Track work is set to begin on Glory Road between Oregon and Mesa Street and on Baltimore Drive between Stanton Street and Mesa Street in mid-June. This work will set the stage for rail to cross Mesa Street at Glory Road/Baltimore Drive in July.

Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists should use extra caution in the coming days as rail work begins on Glory Road and temporary pavement markings are placed on North Stanton Street as part of the El Paso Streetcar Project, according to the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority.

Beginning on Tuesday, April 18, 2017, crews from Paso del Norte Trackworks will begin placing specially fabricated curved rail at the corner of Glory Road and Oregon Street. To accommodate this work, Glory Road will be closed to thru traffic between Mesa Street and Randolph Drive. Oregon Street will be closed to thru traffic between Cincinnati Avenue and Glory Road.

While no motorists, pedestrians or cyclists will be allowed in the immediate vicinity of the work, motorists will be able to access the Glory Road Parking Garage from Mesa Street via Glory Road. The University of Texas at El Paso’s P-10 and P-11 parking lots will be accessible from Sun Bowl Drive via Glory Road.

Because crosswalks on the south side of Glory Road will be closed, pedestrians should consider alternate routes including the sidewalk on the north side of Glory Road.

This work will last approximately three weeks and sets the stage for crews to begin laying rail across Mesa Street at Glory Road/Baltimore Drive in mid-June.

Beginning on Friday, April 14, 2017, North Stanton Street will re-open to north-south traffic between Baltimore Drive and Cincinnati Avenue. Baltimore Drive will temporarily re-open to east-west traffic at this time, too.

Because of street widths and station configurations, Stanton will remain reduced to a single northbound lane south of Cincinnati. Track installation continues on Stanton Street south of Crosby Avenue.

All cross-streets between Schuster Avenue and Cincinnati Avenue have re-opened at Stanton Street. Meanwhile, Hague Road, Crosby Avenue and Rio Grande Avenue remain closed to thru traffic immediately west of Stanton.

Intermittent closures of cross-streets will continue as rolling paving operations continue along some parts of Stanton Street. Baltimore Drive will close again when rail crosses Mesa Street at Glory Road/Baltimore Drive in mid-June.

Stanton Street Street will remain reduced to a single northbound lane between Yandell Drive and Cincinnati Avenue. Motorists, pedestrian and cyclists should expected new traffic patterns though as the work continues. Beginning on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, northbound traffic will move from the east side of the street to the west side of the street between Rim Road and Cincinnati Avenue.

This change in traffic pattern is necessary to give crews room to safety construction boarding platforms along Stanton Street.

Many downtown commuters can expect an easier commute to and from the office beginning on Monday, April 17, 2017. All lane restrictions will be lifted on Kansas Street between Main Drive and Texas Avenue and between Overland Avenue and Father Rahm Avenue. Lane restrictions will continue on Kansas Street between Missouri Avenue and Main Drive and between Texas Avenue and Overland Avenue.

I-10 will be closed in both directions from 9pm on Sunday, April 23, to 5am on Monday, April 24, 2017, so crews can paint columns and place OCS poles. Stanton Street will be closed between Wyoming Avenue and Yandell Drive at this time.

Lane restrictions will be in place on Oregon Street between Wyoming and Yandell at this time.

Paso del Norte Trackworks crews have completed installation of rail and are presently completing concrete paving operations on the south side of Franklin Avenue between Oregon Street and Kansas Street. At the end of this month, eastbound traffic is scheduled to move from the north side of the street to the south side of the street so crews can complete repaving.

Also at this time, Stanton Street will re-open to thru traffic between Main Drive and Franklin. However, it will close to all traffic between Franklin and Missouri.

Crews have completed installation of some of the most complex rail and switching mechanisms along the entire 4.8 mile route along Santa Fe Street. Now, the intersection of 4^thAvenue and Santa Fe Street is scheduled to close so it can be fully reconstructed to withstand the rigors of daily traffic and buses entering Sun Metro’s Burt Williams Downtown Transfer Center.

To accommodate this work, Santa Fe Street will be closed to thru traffic between 3^rd Avenue and Father Rahm Avenue, beginning in early May. Also at that time, 4^th Avenue will be closed between El Paso Street and Santa Fe Street.

Because work will be confined to the intersection, both streets will remain open for local access. However, no vehicles will be allowed to pass through the intersection as it is being reconstructed. Temporary pedestrian crossings will also be in place.

The reconstruction of the intersection is scheduled to be completed by the end of May. This is the last work for the El Paso Streetcar Project which will require complete closure of Santa Fe Street.

Traffic Impacts at Other Locations During the Week of April 17, 2017 

Complete Closures:

• Glory Road between Oregon Street and Mesa Street
• Santa Fe Street between 4^th Avenue and Father Rahm Avenue

Lane Restrictions:

• Oregon Street between Yandell Drive and Nevada Avenue
• Oregon Street between Missouri Avenue and Wyoming Avenue
• Kansas Street between Franklin Avenue and Father Rahm Avenue
• Father Rahm Avenue between Kansas Street and Santa Fe Street

Work related to the El Paso Streetcar project in some key Downtown intersections will require changes in traffic patterns beginning this week, according to the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority.

Crews from Paso del Norte Trackworks will replace traffic signals at the Mesa Street/Franklin Avenue intersection beginning on Wednesday, March 15, 2017. While the traffic signals are being replaced, a temporary all-way stop will be in place.

Off-duty police officers will assist with traffic control during this work which is scheduled to last approximately three days. Lane reductions and left turn restrictions at this intersection will remain in place.

The work was scheduled to take advantage of decreased traffic in Downtown during the week of Spring Break.

Crews from Paso del Norte Trackworks will continue work on concrete crosswalks on Santa Fe Street at Main Drive adjacent to the Judson F. Williams Convention Center.

Beginning on Thursday, March 16, 2017, to accommodate this work, northbound traffic on Santa Fe Street will be detoured right onto Main Drive, left onto El Paso Street, right onto Franklin Avenue and allowed to proceed north on Oregon Street.

Southbound traffic will be allowed to continue flowing on Santa Fe Street through lane restrictions between Franklin Avenue and San Antonio Avenue.

This detour will remain in place for approximately three weeks. PDNT has scheduled all high-impact closures on Santa Fe Street between Franklin and San Antonio to be completed before El Paso Chihuahuas Opening Day on April 6.

Some of the most complex and intricate work associated with the El Paso Streetcar Project is advancing on Franklin Avenue where motorists, pedestrians and cyclists will encounter new traffic patterns beginning on Friday, February 17, 2017, according to the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority.

Crews from Paso del Norte Trackworks have completed installation of a rail switching mechanism in the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Oregon Street. That switch is one of two links between the Uptown and Downtown loops. Crews have also installed rail along Franklin Avenue between Santa Fe Street and Oregon Street.

On February 17, Franklin Avenue will re-open to eastbound traffic between Oregon Street and Santa Fe Street. Oregon Street will reopen to north-south traffic at Franklin, at that time as well.

Beginning on Tuesday, February 21, 2017, Franklin Avenue will be reduced to a single eastbound lane between Oregon Street and Kansas Street. Mesa Street will be reduced to one lane in each direction at Franklin Avenue. Left turns from Mesa Street to Franklin Avenue will not be permitted. These closures are necessary as crews lay rail along this section of Franklin.

Crews will also place the second track switch which links the Uptown and Downtown loops in the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Stanton Street. Because of the complexity of this work, Stanton Street will be closed to thru traffic between Main Drive and Franklin Avenue. In the coming weeks, the Stanton Street closure will switch to between Franklin Avenue and Missouri Avenue.

All told, work in this area is scheduled to take approximately twelve weeks to complete.

As crews continue laying rail and pouring concrete along North Stanton Street, closures of the following cross-streets will be required on the following dates at the following times:

• Boston Avenue closed at Stanton Street from 1am to 9am on Wednesday, February 15, 2017.
• Kerbey Avenue closed at Stanton Street from Wednesday, February 22, to Tuesday, February 28, 2017;During this period, University Avenue will temporarily re-open as an alternate east-west route.
• Cincinnati Avenue closed at Stanton Street from 1am to 9am on Thursday, February 23, 2017.
• Rim Road closed at Stanton Street from 1am to 9am on Tuesday, February 28, 2017; Motorists who use Scenic Drive and Rim

These dates could change pending weather.

During the week of February 13, 2017, overnight lane closures along I-10 through Downtown El Paso will not take place. They will resume during the week of February 20 and be in effect Sundays through Thursdays from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

As work continues along the 4.8 mile route, motorists, pedestrians and cyclists should expect to encounter the following which will remain in place during the week of February 13, 2017:

Street Closures

• Stanton Street between Yandell Drive and Baltimore Drive (open to northbound traffic only)
• Baltimore Drive, Robinson Avenue, University Avenue, Blanchard Avenue, Blacker Avenue, Hague Road, Crosby Avenue, Cliff Drive, and Rio Grande Avenue immediately west of Stanton Street.
• Santa Fe Street between Father Rahm Avenue and Paisano Drive
• Rio Grande Avenue between Oregon Street and El Paso Street
• Arizona Avenue between Mesa Street and Oregon Street

Lane Restrictions

• Kansas Street between Franklin Avenue and Father Rahm Avenue
• Santa Fe Street between Missouri Avenue and Paisano Drive
• Oregon Street between Yandell Drive and Nevada Avenue
• Campbell Street between Paisano Drive and First Avenue

Later this month, southbound traffic on Kansas Street will shift to the right site of the street as crews resurface the existing travel lanes. San Antonio Avenue and Texas Avenue will close immediately east of Kansas Street to allow crews to complete concrete paving of those intersections.

Following two weeks of round-the-clock work, crews from Paso del Norte Track works will re-open Kansas Street and Santa Fe Street at Paisano Drive overnight tonight, according to the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority.

Both intersections have been closed for fourteen days as crews worked 24-hour shifts to remove existing concrete, realign underground utilities, lay rail, pour concrete and re-stripe the streets through both intersections for the El Paso Streetcar Project.

The work was originally scheduled over several months, but crews compressed the timeline and accelerated work to minimize the impact on Downtown businesses and commuters.

As was previously announced, work will continue on Santa Fe Street between Paisano Drive and Father Rahm Avenue. That stretch of Santa Fe Street will remain closed to traffic. Additionally, motorists will still encounter lane restrictions on Santa Fe Street between Franklin Avenue and Paisano Drive and on Kansas Street between Franklin Avenue and Father Rahm Avenue.

Overnight left lane closures on Interstate 10 through Downtown El  Paso which began on Sunday night will continue. The lane closures will begin at 9 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays for approximately six weeks. The lanes will re-open by 5 a.m. each day.

While work will be confined to the columns which support the Oregon Street and Stanton Street overpasses, lane restrictions will begin well in advance of the work zone to provide a safe work environment for crews. Eastbound lane restrictions on I-10 will begin near Schuster Avenue; Westbound lane restrictions on I-10 will begin near Cotton Street.

Crews will also place poles for the Overhead Catenary System (OCS) which will power the streetcars within the median of I-10 at Oregon and Stanton.

Beginning this week, Stanton Street is now reduced to a single northbound lane from Yandell Drive to Baltimore Drive as crews expand their work installing rail there.

Baltimore Drive, Robinson Avenue, University Avenue, Blanchard Avenue, Blacker Avenue, Hague Road, Crosby Avenue, Cliff Drive, and Rio Grande Avenue are closed to thru traffic immediately west of Stanton Street.

North of Crosby, work will continue through mid-April; South of Crosby work will continue thru late May or early June.

The Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority has coordinated with the Texas Department of Transportation to close one lane of Interstate 10 overnight for the next six weeks.

The lane closures are necesary as subcontractors for Paso del Norte Trackworks reinforce two overpasses which will carry the 4.8 mile streetcar line across the freeway.

Beginning on Sunday, January 29, 2017, the left lane of I-10 will be closed in both directions through Downtown El Paso. The lane closures will begin at 9 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays for approximately six weeks. The lanes will re-open by 5 a.m.each day.

While work will be confined to the columns which support the Oregon Street and Stanton Street overpasses, lane restrictions will begin well in advance of the work zone to provide a safe work environment for crews. Eastbound lane restrictions on I-10 will begin near Schuster Avenue; Westbound lane restrictions on I-10 will begin near Cotton Street.

Crews will also place poles for the Overhead Catenary System (OCS) which will power the streetcars within the median of I-10 at Oregon and Stanton.

Beginning on Monday, January 30, 2017, Stanton Street will be reduced to a single northbound lane from Yandell Drive to Baltimore Drive as crews expand their work installing rail there.

Baltimore Drive, Robinson Avenue, University Avenue, Blanchard Avenue, Blacker Avenue, Hague Road, Crosby Avenue, Cliff Drive, and Rio Grande Avenue will be closed to thru traffic immediately west of Stanton Street.

North of Crosby, work will continue through mid-April; South of Crosby work will continue thru late May or early June.

Crews from Paso del Norte Trackworks continue their 24/7 work schedule laying rail and pouring concrete across Paisano Drive at Kansas Street and Santa Fe Street.

Paisano is scheduled to re-open to east-west traffic through Downtown on Tuesday, January 31, 2017. Kansas Street will re-open to southbound traffic at and Santa Fe Street will re-open to north-south traffic at this time.

As previously announced, Santa Fe Street will remain closed between Paisano Drive and Father Rahm Avenue as rail is laid there.

As work continues throughout the 4.8 mile route, the following traffic impacts will remain in place during the week of January 30, 2017:

Street Closures

• Father Rahm Avenue between Santa Fe Street and Campbell Street
• Franklin Avenue between Santa Fe Street and the mid-block alley between Mesa Street and Oregon Street
• Oregon Street between Main Drive and Missouri Avenue
• Rio Grande Avenue between El Paso Street and Oregon Street
• Arizona Avenue between Mesa Street and Oregon Street

Lane Restrictions

• Rolling lane restrictions on Oregon Street near the University of Texas at El Paso for OCS pole installation
• Kansas Street between Franklin Avenue and Father Rahm Avenue
• Oregon Street between Rio Grande Avenue and California Avenue
• Santa Fe Street at Franklin Avenue

Work Zone Changes Planned for February

The following work zone changes will take place next month:

• Southbound traffic on Kansas Street will shift to the right site of the street as crews resurface the existing travel lanes. San Antonio Avenue and Texas Avenue will close immediately east of Kansas Street to allow crews to complete concrete paving of those intersections.
• Franklin Avenue will re-open between Santa Fe Street and the mid-block alley between Oregon Street and Mesa Street. Franklin will be reduced to a single eastbound lane between Oregon Street and Kansas Street; Stanton will close to thru traffic at Franklin.

Electrical subcontractors from Paso del Norte Trackworks will set the first of more than 400 poles which will carry power to El Paso’s streetcars this week, the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority announced Tuesday.

The poles are part of the Overhead Catenary System — or OCS. Each pole will be placed on one of hundreds of pole foundations, many of which have already been placed along the 4.8 mile route.

The OCS will power the streetcars by carrying electrical DC power through catenary wires above the route. Each streetcar will draw power through an overhead mast mounted on top of the vehicle which makes contact with the overhead catenary electrical wire.

Because foundations have already been placed, this work will proceed relatively quickly — each pole taking between 30 minutes and an hour to place. Therefore, Paso del Norte Trackworks will seek to minimize interruptions to traffic by completing the work utilizing rolling lane closures which will be confined to the immediate work zone.

Motorists and cyclists are urged to use extra caution in these areas. Additionally, pedestrians should be aware that sidewalks will be closed immediately surrounding work zones.

The first poles are being placed this week along Kansas Street in Downtown El Paso. Work is expected to move to Oregon Street near the University of Texas at El Paso next week.

The Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority has scheduled work to lay rail for the El Paso Streetcar Project across Paisano Drive at Kansas Street and Santa Fe Street in January.

To accommodate this work, the following closures will be in place between Tuesday, January 17, and Tuesday, January 31, 2017.

• Paisano Drive closed to thru traffic between Chihuahua Street and El Paso Street
• Paisano Drive closed to thru traffic between Stanton Street and Campbell Street
• Santa Fe Street closed to thru traffic between 4th Avenue and Overland Avenue
• Kansas Street closed to thru traffic between 3rd Avenue and Overland Avenue

Motorists who traverse Downtown El Paso on Paisano Drive will be re-routed onto a marked east-west alterate route utilizing San Antonio Avenue. Motorists who typically use downtown streets to connect between Interstate 10 and Loop 375 will be re-routed onto marked north-south alternate routes using Mesa Street or Campbell Street.

Although originally planned for in segments at different times over several months, Paso del Norte Trackworks will work at both locations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This approach will expedite the construction, thereby minimizing the closure time and overall impact of this work.

Additionally, this work has been coordinated with the Border West Expressway project to complete this work before they re-open Paisano Drive in West El Paso to traffic.

Crews from Paso del Norte Trackworks are also coordinating closely with Texas Department of Transportation on work to reinforce the Oregon Street and Stanton Street overpasses which will carry the streetcar line over I-10 in Downtown El Paso.

To minimize the traffic impact, this work will take place overnight beginning on Sunday, January 29, 2016. During this work, the left lane of I-10 will be closed in both directions Sunday thru Thursday for approximately six weeks.

The following streets will re-open by the end of the day on Friday, December 23, 2016:

• Main Drive, Mills Avenue, Texas Avenue, Overland Avenue, First Avenue, San Antonio Avenue will re-open to east-west traffic at Kansas Street.
• Santa Fe Street will re-open to two-way traffic between Paisano Drive and Franklin Avenue. Lane restrictions will remain in place at Franklin Avenue and Paisano Drive and between Paisano Drive and Montestruc Court
• Oregon Street will re-open to two-way traffic between Yandell Drive and Glory Road. Lane restrictions remain in place between Yandell and California.
• Cliff Avenue, River Avenue, and California Avenue will re-open to east-west traffic at Oregon Street.

Previously announced work remains on schedule to begin along North Stanton Street on Tuesday, January 3, 2017. Work will begin laying rail between Baltimore Drive and Crosby Avenue at that time.

Within the work zone, Stanton Street will be reduced to a single northbound lane. Robinson Avenue, University Avenue, Blanchard Avenue, Blacker Avenue and Hague Road will be closed to east-west traffic at Stanton Street. Baltimore Drive will close to east-west traffic at Stanton Street in February 2017.

Cincinnati Avenue, Boston Avenue, Kerbey Avenue, Rim Road and Schuster Avenue will remain open to east-west traffic at Stanton Street.

Crews from Paso del Norte Trackworks will close Overland Avenue to east-west traffic immediately west of Kansas Street Wednesday, as rail work advances more quickly than expected along that stretch of the El Paso Streetcar Project’s 4.8 mile route.

Along with Texas Avenue, Overland will remain closed thru Friday, December 23, 2016. At that time, an additional southbound lane is scheduled to open on Kansas Street. Main Drive, Mills Avenue, Texas Avenue, Overland Avenue will also fullly reopen to east-west traffic.

San Antonio Avenue and First Avenue are expected to remain closed to east-west traffic immediately west of Kansas Street after December 23.

Elsewhere, crews will continue drilling foundations for the poles which will support the Overhead Contact System (OCS) which will power the El Paso Streetcars. In the coming days, crews will begin drilling foundations in the area of Cathedral High School. Because crews expect to encounter especially hard rock in this area which will make drilling particularly noisy, crews have coordinated the work to take place during the school’s Christmas Break.

To accommodate this work, Stanton Street will be closed to thru traffic between River Avenue and Rio Grande Avenue beginning on Friday, December 16, 2016. This work will last for approximately five weeks.

Other Traffic Impacts Which Will Remain in Place During the Week of December 19:

Complete Closures:

• Franklin Avenue between Santa Fe Street and the mid-block alley between Oregon and Mesa.
• Oregon Street between Main Drive and Missouri Avenue
• Crosby Avenue, Cliff Drive, River Avenue, California Avenue immediately west of Oregon Street
• Arizona Avenue between Kansas Street and Stanton Street
• Arizona Avenue between Mesa Street and Oregon Street
• Rio Grande Avenue between Oregon Street and El Paso Street

Lane Restrictions:

• Oregon Street open to northbound traffic only between Nevada Avenue and Rim Road
• Oregon Street between Nevada Avenue and Yandell Drive
• Yandell Drive at Oregon Street
• Rio Grande Avenue at Stanton Street
• Santa Fe Street open to southbound traffic only between Franklin Avenue and Paisano Drive
• Santa Fe Street between Paisano Drive and Montestruc Court

Crews from Paso del Norte Trackworks have reconfigured their work plan on Franklin Avenue in Downtown El Paso to minimize the impact on many businesses there, the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority announced today. This work is part of the El Paso Streetcar Project.

Crews from Paso del Norte Trackworks will begin laying rail along Franklin Avenue between Santa Fe Street and Mesa Street on Monday, December 5, 2016. To accommodate this work, the following closures will be required at that time:

• Franklin Avenue will be closed to all traffic between Santa Fe Street and the mid-block alley between Oregon Street and Mesa Street
• Oregon Street will be closed to thru traffic between Main Drive and Missouri Avenue; It will remain open to local traffic and for on-street parking
• Lane restrictions will be in place on Santa Fe Street at Franklin Avenue.

Because of the complex nature of switches and paving in this area, these closures will be in place for approximately 8-12 weeks.

Work which was set to begin at this time on Franklin Avenue near Stanton Street will be rescheduled.

Crews from Paso del Norte Trackworks began paving operations ealier this week along Father Rahm Avenue. The work remains on scheduled to be completed by the end of the day today. This will allow the street to be reopened in time for the busy holiday shopping season in South El Paso

While Father Rahm Avenue reopened to all traffic on Wednesday, November 23; while intermittent work will continue as crews finalize concrete work, lane markings, and above ground utility placement.