Stimulus-Funded Road Projects May Provide Relief To EP Commuters

By ABC-7 Reporter Martin BartlettFAR EAST EL PASO — A solution to the I-10/Loop 375 slowdown could soon be in the fast lane.

Depending on how state leaders decide, eight new highrise ramps could translate into no more waiting on frontage roads or long delays at red lights for drivers getting between the two freeways.

“That’d be nice if they’d do something like that — to just get on Joe Battle and keep going straight without stopping here,” said Eastside driver Ray Roy.

Without stimulus cash, it could be decades before ground is broken on the project and just as long before folks are put to work on the interchange.

Ray Gilliard is the head of the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization — they’re the ones who made the stimulus requests. Gilliard said the group asked for all eight high-rise ramps. He admits it’s ambitious.

“We need eight — we may have to settle for four, or six, it’s really out of our hands,” Gilliard said.

Less-than-hoped-for funding wouldn’t only slow down the commute but also might slow the economic recovery in El Paso: “If they decide to only fund half of the project — you’re only looking at200 people.”

Preliminary work on whatever the state funds has to be done in four months; the project would have to be underway in sixteen months.

“Always cars — it’s always backed up here.”