Thorn Bridge to reopen, Mesa exit now open

UPDATE: As of 9:56 a.m., both North and South Desert Boulevard lanes are open at the Thorn Bridge.

UPDATE: As of 9:30 a.m., TxDOT reports that workers are still on the site cycling lights. Rain on Friday morning has caused some delays.

Many El Pasoans have "construction fatigue" from TxDOT projects on I-10, but those on the west may be relieved to know of two completed projects: Thorn Bridge and the Mesa-Thorn exit.

Traffic will be changing — Instead of driving straight on North and South Desert Boulevards, there will be a traffic light to stop. 

TxDOT crew workers have been on the site for final touches early Friday morning and programming the traffic lights.

Thorn Bridge has been closed since June 2024.

The original bridge was taken down and reconstructed to amplify lanes, widen them for more capacity, and improve the pedestrian facilities for safety.

Also, the clearance under the bridge is now higher.

TxDOT El Paso spokesperson Lauren Macias-Cervantes told us they knows how long residents have been waiting for these changes to be completed.

"We know that people have been anxiously awaiting for this bridge to open," she said. "They've been telling us that they're ready, they want to know the status, they want to know the update."

One thing that drivers need to watch out for is that the new Mesa-Thorn exit have been combined, and placed more than a mile ahead of where they used to be.

Macias-Cervantes also shared some more on the ongoing projects.

"The I-10 Widening West Project is in two phases. So this first phase, which is from, Mesa to Vinton, is now in its final phases," she said. "So all the work in that first phase is expected to be completed in March. So as crews are finishing up, people can expect more orange barrels to be gone in this area."

Thorn bridge is expected to officially open around 8:30 a.m., some lanes will remain closed for a few days as they finish touching it up.