El Paso toll lanes saw increase day of I-10 closure

There was a spike in toll lane usage on Tuesday, the same day I-10 was crippled with congestion after a power line went down.

According to the Regional Mobility Authority’s Executive Director, Raymond Telles, there was a 24% increase in people using the toll lanes on Tuesday compared to the same day last week. The increase can’t be linked to the I-10 crash though, said Telles, because the toll lanes have only been open for about a month and a half and are experiencing an increase every week. There was a 12% increase on Monday compared to last Monday.

Still, Telles is convinced more people are becoming exposed to the toll lanes. “That relief route worked as it was supposed to,” he said.

There’s also been a steady increase in people buying accounts to use the toll lanes. On January 21st, there were 161 people who had bought accounts to use the toll lanes. By February 5th, – there were 303 accounts, according to Telles.

It’s still not incredibly easy for drivers to get to the Border Highway (Loop 375) from different parts of I-10. That’s why the Texas Department of Transportation is in the process of planning a direct connector between I-10 near the Spaghetti Bowl and Loop 375.