Borderland Bridge To Close For 2 Weeks For Levee Construction

Borderland Bridge across the Rio Grande in El Paso’s Upper Valley will close for approximately two weeks beginning on Monday, April 2 due to Rio Grande levee construction. During construction, detour signs will direct vehicles to Doniphan Drive or Upper Valley Road to cross the river using the bridge on Artcraft Road approximately one-half mile to the south.

The closure is needed so that automatic flood control gates can be installed at the bridge. The construction is being done by Milestone Excavation, Inc. under contract to the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) as part of a project to rehabilitate Rio Grande flood control levees between Borderland Bridge in El Paso, Texas and Vado Bridge in Doa Ana County, New Mexico.

The work is being carried out with funding appropriated to the USIBWC from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The purpose of the Recovery Act is to create and save jobs, promote economic recovery, and invest in infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits. The USIBWC received $220 million in Recovery Act appropriations for levee rehabilitation in New Mexico and Texas. The funds have already created or preserved an estimated 2500+ jobs.

Construction of the flood gates at Borderland Bridge is expected to be completed by April 13. The USIBWC is rehabilitating 122 miles of Rio Grande flood control levees between Hatch, New Mexico and Fort Hancock, Texas. The work is intended to bring the levees into compliance with standards established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). USIBWC is also constructing levee improvements in Presidio, Texas and South Texas. All construction is expected to be completed in 2012.