2017 Freeway construction: I-10 East & Sunland Park will be a problem spot; Paisano to reopen

Simply put, traffic will not be getting better in El Paso for 2017 as construction on the GO-10 and Border West Expressway projects kicks into high gear.

TxDOT spokeswoman Jennifer Wright said you can expect I-10 East near Sunland Park to continue to be the biggest problem spot.

“Naturally with Mesa being the only alternate route — that is overwhelmed with freeway levels of traffic –the service level on Mesa tends to break down,” Wright said. “After February when we have Paisano open, there will be that second alternate route, and should help alleviate some of that morning commute.”

The I-10 Resler flyover ramp will be demolished to make room for a newer, bigger ramp. You can also expect new ramps on I-10 at Mesa.

The biggest undertaking for the Border West Expressway project will be construction of a bridge from Spur 1966 over to the Santa Fe International Bridge.

“The Border West project is not going to have a great affect on commuters because it’s creating new roadway, where roadway didn’t exist,” Wright said. “Most of their closures have already been accomplished.”

Metropia, an app that looks to get drivers past traffic, expanded to El Paso last year. Tania Chozet, community manager for Metropia, said the app incentivizes users with points. They accumulate points for each trip they take, and those points can be exchanged for gift cards.

“The construction is really tricky to get around,” Chozet said. “We have all of those closures in our app. We help users get around the traffic. We tell them the best route to take, and the best time to leave…you’re getting something free for something you do every day.”

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