Ramp Project Expected To Help With UTEP Traffic Congestion

Major changes are in store for drivers who use Interstate 10 near the University of Texas at El Paso.

A new project is under way to help alleviate traffic from the interstate to campus. Construction preparations began Monday night on the I-10/Schuster Ramp Project.

According to officials with the Texas Department of Transportation, some of the changes include the Schuster exit will be pushed back about half a mile, and it will become a two-lane road.

A new overpass will connect the exit with University Avenue and will be parallel to I-10.

Students ABC-7 spoke with said it is an exciting project they hope will help with current traffic headaches.

“I usually don’t take the Schuster exit because it’s too crowded,” said Alan Escobedo, a UTEP graduate.

His friend, Cristina Castrejon, a junior accounting major, explained traffic is bad, “especially in the morning when you try to exit on I-10, there’s a lot of traffic.”

With classes back in session in just about a week, students will find plenty of construction to adjust to, including the Schuster project, which is part of the city’s comprehensive mobility plan.

“The complaints we get about the minor inconveniences are really no match for the long-term benefits of projects like this, and as long as the barrels are orange, we don’t mind,” said UTEP President, Dr. Diana Natalicio, as laughter ensued her comment during a news conference Monday.

The nearly $8 million project is supposed to reduce congestion onto campus and improve safety.

“I’ve noticed during the school year, we back up cars on the shoulder of Interstate 10 around a blind corner. And I’ve noticed that has gotten increasingly worse over the years,” said Texas Transportation Commissioner Ted Houghton.

Natalicio said the changes are important additions to the quality of life at and around the university.

“This has been something that, with the growth of UTEP, has become increasingly critical. We expect to have 30,000 students by 2020,” Natalicio said.

She pointed out another change students will see in a few months — a pedestrian walkway.

It will connect the parking lot on Sun Bowl Drive to the Health Science/Nursing complex.

“I like that they have the walkway for the pedestrians. I know that’s one of the big issues, too, when you drive through that area, you have to stop a lot for the pedestrians that are crossing,” said Mario Rubio, a senior mechanical engineering student.

“All the pedestrians, you have to stop, and then that creates a lot of traffic. So having that, it will just flow more easily,” Escobedo added.

Texas Department of Transportation officials said the Schuster exit will remain open during construction. They said as much work as possible will be done overnight.

This project is scheduled to take about 15 months to complete, so it should be done by late spring or early summer 2012.