Lights installed on infamous northeast intersection

We’ve brought you news about tragic car crashes in Northeast El Paso at the US54 and Mesquite Hills drive. A woman died in a crash there this past December and neighbors say more non-deadly crashes have followed. TXDOT has now installed a traffic light to control the area.

Neighbors ABC-7 spoke with said they feel there are crashes on the intersection of Mesquite Hills and US54 every single week, even if they’re just fender benders that aren’t reported. They also said they’re hoping these new traffic lights put a stop to, or at least reduce, the car crashes.

“I think the problem was because people are coming through and they don’t understand that there’s housing here, so they just take it as a freeway, they go straight speeding and they don’t expect the car is gonna come out of nowhere,” said Marisol Lopez, who lives in an adjacent neighborhood.

Neighbors near the Mesquite Hills and US54 intersection said they’ve felt unsafe for years. Car parts littering the area mark spots where people have been ejected from cars and even died after crashes at the intersection. While they hope new lights help control traffic along the gateways, neighbors said there is always a risk.

“Of course you’re gonna have people who run the lights. They’re gonna test it to a while, they’re gonna try to say they didn’t see the lights there because it’s new,” said Frank Casas, another neighbor.

Those risks, neighbors say are still better than having accidents behind their homes every week.

“I think it’s gonna be a good things for this community to see less accidents,” Casas said.

“Now I’m gonna feel better when I’m crossing with my two children instead of wondering ‘am I gonna get hit with them?’,” said Lopez.

The lights are flashing right now but as of Monday morning they’ll be fully operational, going through their complete cycle.