Tag Archives: txdot el paso

Community members are invited to participate in two upcoming TxDOT meetings in the El Paso District.

The first is a public hearing on the proposed improvements to Loop 375 from Farm-to-Market (FM) 76 (North Loop Drive) to the Zaragoza Port of Entry (POE) on July 25. The other is a public meeting on the proposed Northeast Parkway July 26.

A public hearing is held after project location and design studies are developed and are held to gather community comments from all interested parties for the official public record prior to a final decision.

A public meeting is held throughout the planning process and is intended to present information, exchange ideas and gather input from the public on the need for, and possible alternatives to, a project.

Loop 375 Frontage Roads Configuration Public Hearing  |  Wednesday, July 25

Del Valle High School, 5p.m., presentation at 6 p.m.

The public hearing on the Loop 375 frontage roads will take place on Wednesday July 25, at Del Valle High School, 950 Bordeaux Drive. Displays will be available for viewing at 5 p.m. with the formal presentation at 6 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to provide information about the proposed project and gather input from the public.

The 2.4-mile long project is intended to improve mobility and reduce congestion by extending frontage roads across the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) and reconfiguring ramps. The existing Loop 375 frontage roads generally consist of three lanes in each direction, with two 14-foot-wide lanes and one 12-foot-wide lane.

The proposed improvements would extend the frontage roads over the UPRR just north of the Alameda Avenue (State Highway [SH] 20) and Loop 375 intersections and reconfigure ramps in both the north and southbound directions between FM 76 and the Zaragoza Port of Entry.

The public hearing will be conducted in English, but a Spanish translator will be present.

Northeast Parkway Public Meeting  |  Thursday, July 26  |  Tom Lea Elementary, 5-7 p.m.

The public meeting on the proposed Northeast Parkway is set for Thursday, July 26 from 5-7 p.m. at Tom Lea Elementary located at 4851 Marcus Uribe Drive.

The proposed Northeast Parkway is planned as new location four-lane facility, including grade separations, interchanges and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.

The proposed project would be constructed in two phases, Phase 1 being the construction of a Super 2 facility – a two lane rural highway with periodic passing lanes. The purpose of the proposed project is to address regional system linkage and system capacity by providing an alternate route to I-10. The project would complete a route around the northeast side of El Paso suitable for truck and other through traffic, diverting traffic from the city center.

Preliminary project exhibits will be available for public viewing. The maps and drawings reflecting the project location and geometric design will also be displayed.

The meeting is open house format and attendees are encouraged to come at their own convenience.

Drivers that use the Sunland Park Interchange and I-10 in the area will experience a traffic switch, lane reductions and multiple weekend closures in May as construction advances on TxDOT’s GO 10 project.

Traffic Switch/27-Hour Closure

Crews will close Sunland Park Drive from Mesa Hills Drive to Doniphan Drive in both directions – along with all ramps at Sunland Park – from Sunday, April 29 at 3 a.m. to Monday, April 30 at 6.

The closure is needed to prepare for a traffic shift. During the 27-hour closure, motorists will be allowed access to businesses along Sunland Park Drive. Police officers and road signs will be in place to help drivers navigate the closure. Through traffic should avoid the Sunland Park corridor.

The traffic shift starts April 30 when crews close the Sunland Park overpass and shift traffic onto the newly constructed turnaround bridge parallel to the overpass for travel. The shift onto the turnaround bridge will mean fewer through lanes:  two northbound lanes and one southbound lane.

To assist drivers during this shift, the new Sunland Park flyover will be open. They can also use the westbound on ramp to I-10.

The closure and traffic shift will last at least five months. During that time crews will demolish and replace the Sunland Park Drive overpass. The new overpass will have an increased clearance height and additional lanes.

Extended Closures

57-Hour Weekend #1

I-10 will close in both directions between the Sunland Park exit and entrance ramps, the Sunland Park overpasses will close, and the Sunland Park flyover ramp will close from 9 p.m. Friday, May 4-Monday, May 7 at 6 a.m. Crews will be demolishing the Sunland Park Drive overpass. Drivers will be detoured onto the I-10 eastbound and westbound frontage road ramps.

57-Hour Weekend #2

The following weekend, I-10 will close so crews can continue the demolition and begin to remove massive steel girders from the old Sunland Park flyover ramp. I-10 at Sunland Park will close; Sunland Park Drive will close from Mesa Hills to Paisano, the Sunland Park flyover ramp will close, and the I-10 westbound on ramp at Sunland Park Drive will close.

Drivers traveling on I-10 eastbound will use the on/off ramp as a detour. Westbound traffic will exit at Sunland Park and use North Mesa Street (SH 20) as a detour. Closures will be in place Friday, May 11 from 9 p.m.-Monday, May 14 at 6 a.m.

57-Hour Weekend #3

A third 57-hour weekend closure may be needed if work does not progress as planned. Progress could be impeded by factors such as wind.  If a third 57-hour closure is needed, it will be Friday, May 18 from 9 p.m. – Monday, May 21 at 6 a.m.

Lane Reduction

A new traffic configuration will be in place on I-10, in both directions, through summer starting May 7. Lanes will be reduced to two lanes between Sunland Park and Buena Vista. Crews will be replacing the pavement and guard rail in the median of I-10.

The major takeaways for this week are: