Spur 601 Eases Commute For Soldiers

EL PASO, Texas — Soldiers working at Fort Bliss will have an easier commute to work Monday morning. That’s because Phase 1 of the new Spur 601 opened Friday.

It connects Loop 375 to Global Reach Drive in East El Paso. Eventually Spur 601 will be able to get you across town, but it could also help drivers all across the state.

Spur 601 was built to speed soldiers to work on post, and Fort Bliss Garrison Commander Ed Manning says saving time is “great.”

“It reduces stress on soldiers, it gives them time back and it cuts down on the cost of gas,” he said.

More soldiers are living in East El Paso, and more soldiers are working at east Fort Bliss. They used to have to battle through traffic light on Montana, to US 54 to Fred Wilson. Now it’s a straight shot.

Phase 1 can also help far Eastside civilians get to the airport.

“I’m not an expert on traffic patterns, but we need this here now,” Manning said.

Texas Transportation Commissioner Ted Houghton knows that projects of this magnitude usually take decades to build.

The state was able to build Spur 601 so fast because the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority financed it. The state will pay them back over time.

“It’s like buying a house on time instead of paying for the whole thing in cash upfront,” Houghton said.

And Houghton said as the state’s budget belt tightens, cities across the state can learn from El Paso’s example.

“The old ways are antiquated, outdated, and just not cutting it anymore,” Houghton said.

When the final two phases are done, Spur 601 will run parallel to Montana from Loop 375 to US 54 at Fred Wilson.