TxDOT will allow city to close part of Border Highway during pope’s Juarez visit

Officials with the Texas Department of Transportation have given the city of El Paso permission to close part of the Border Highway when the pope visits Juarez in February, a TxDOT spokeswoman told ABC-7.

Both the city and TxDOT will have to sign a road closure agreement to close the Cesar Chavez-Border Highway from U.S. 54 to Santa Fe Street. The pope will celebrate Mass at the site of the former Juarez fairgrounds, which is directly across the border from Guillen Middle School and about midway through the proposed closure.

The road closure agreement first needs to be requested and approved by the El Paso City Council.

Elizabeth O’Hara, spokeswoman for the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, said the city council will discuss the road closure agreement at its next meeting, adding that there is no indication that it wouldn’t be approved.

An agenda for a special meeting of the City Council on Tuesday does not include discussion about a road closure agreement. However, a regular-meeting agenda has not been posted.

If approved, the closure could begin at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16 and run through 5 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 18.

Local catholic schools, as well as the University of Texas had decided to close the day of the pope’s visit to Juarez. Most local public-school districts have not decided whether to close that day. The Clint district already said it will no close.