TXDoT looking for feedback from community on how to improve Horizon Blvd.
The Texas Department of Transportation has its sights set on Horizon Boulevard, a major route in far east El Paso County that stretches from Horizon City to Socorro.
TXDoT is currently conducting the Horizon Blvd. Corridor Study to determine how to improve the the drive for commuters. It is hosting a second round of public meetings commuters and residents to weigh in.
The study focuses on 9.4 miles of Horizon Blvd. between Alameda Avenue (SH 20) in Socorro and Ascension Street in Horizon City.
The areas surrounding Horizon Blvd. are seeing rapid growth including the city of Horizon, Sparks and Socorro.
More businesses and housing developments are popping up with no signs of slowing down.
TXDoT said one thing many residents are worried about is the increased traffic on Horizon.
“We’ve had a lot of people that have come to us and are concerned about the safety in that area because we’ve had a lot of crashes. This corridor has crash rates that are above the Texas rural average,” said Lauren Macias-Cervantes, spokeswoman for TXDoT.
The study will also document and evaluate the community’s future vision regarding transportation, and develop a set of recommendations to enhance safety and mobility.
TXDoT has some proposed changes it will display but they are subject to change after the public meetings are complete.
Macias-Cervantes said it is important that TXDoT gets feedback from the community.
“We can look at the crash rates, we can have our engineers drive it. It’s very important for the people that are out there on the corridor everyday and drive it everyday to let us know what changes they would like to see.”
TXDoT has secured funding to start on some short term goals that will address safety along the corridor.
Funding from The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) will add raised medians for a divided highway along the corridor and additional traffic signs.
Macias-Cervantes said that is expected to be complete in 2021.
A third round of public meetings will be scheduled before summer and the master plan is expected to be complete in fall 2019.
After the study is complete, TXDoT will determine what projects it can complete, then each project will have to go through an approval process.
MEETING INFORMATION:
Wednesday
10:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. – Business Open House
5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. – Public Meeting
Oz Glaze Senior Center, 13969 Veny Webb St.,
Horizon City, TX 79928
Thursday
5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. – Public Meeting
Socorro City Hall/Rio Vista Complex
840 Rio Vista Rd., Socorro, TX 79927
