Pavement Problems In Lower Valley Neighborhood

It’s bad enough dealing with traffic during construction projects around the city, but it’s the final product of one area that has city officials and neighbors concerned.

Residents in a Lower Valley neighborhood say the replacement of a gas pipe on a nearby street has left it in worse condition.

Texas Gas Service is replacing a gas line, 16 inches in diameter, along Roseway Drive between Zaragoza and New Haven Drive.

Crews have to dig into the street about 6 to 8 feet deep.

Once the portions of the pipe line are replaced, Roseway Drive is being repaved, but that’s the problem.

Work crews are only repaving the side that is being worked on, leaving the opposite lane in it’s deteriorated condition.

“You have approximately the same amount of pavement that’s probably 25 or 30 years old, there’s a stark difference between that new pavement and of course that old pavement”, says Daryl Cole, director of the El Paso Department of Transportation.

The stark difference is turning Roseway Drive into a neighborhood eyesore.

“Aesthetically, it’s not appealing to the eye and its not easy to drive on”, says Jeannette Bower, who often visits relatives in the Lower Valley neighborhood.

City representative Eddie Holguin said during Tuesday’s council meeting the area is already in bad shape, “there’s no sidewalks, there’s no improvements out there.”

Meanwhile, Cole says the gas company is following the rules, according to a city ordinance, but now both groups are working together to complete the roadwork.

“We’re working with their (Texas Gas Service) contractor as well as our own internal contractors to see what the cost would be to put a surface”, said Cole.

Along with the repavement of the entire mile stretch, city officials are also looking to add sidewalks.

Cole estimates the gas company will take about three to six weeks to complete the gas line replacement. By that time, the city would also like to see the improvements finalized along Roseway Drive.