Strong winds will not topple weekend demolition plans, say officials

Monday’s windy weather may be a pain for folks dealing with blowing dust and sand, but it’s not affecting the preparations for two massive demolition projects planned for El Paso this weekend.

According to city engineer Alan Shubert, strong winds will not impact the preparation or the actual demolition of El Paso City Hall. Shubert said only lightning could cause the tear-down to be delayed.

Winds higher than 25 mph on demolition day could prevent the ASARCO smokestacks from coming down, said ASARCO trustee Roberto Puga. Despite gusts topping 55 mph on Monday, Puga expects the wind to die down before the weekend.

According to Puga, the trustees’ extensive planning kept them from scrambling to combat windy weather condition on Monday. He said crews have been watering the ground surrounding the ASARCO demolition site on a daily basis to keep dust down.

The ASARCO smokestacks are set to be demolished on April 13 and City Hall on April 14.