TX-DOT Closes Major Northeast Intersection For Five Months

Driving around Northeast El Paso is about to get a lot hairier.

Crews with the Texas Department of Transportation are closing the intersections of Transmountain Rd. at Gateway North Blvd. and Gateway South Blvd. for five months starting Wednesday.

Drivers will still have access to Transmountain, as one lane in each direction will be open. But drivers trying to go from north to west and from south to east must take detours to the following exit of U.S. 54 due to construction.

“We’re going to be building three bridges,” said Blanca Del Valle, the spokeswoman for TX-DOT. “That includes removing what’s there, placing new concrete and putting (up) the columns. It’s just a lot of work. And in the long run, it’s safer to have it closed, and we’ll probably get done quicker.”

That phase of the construction is scheduled for completion in October.

The entire project, which will connect U.S. 54 to Loop 375/Transmountain, won’t be complete until 2014.