ABC-7 Update: Mesquite bridge construction project delayed

Drivers say they are fed up with the Mesquite bridge construction, which brings traffic to a crawl on Interstate 10.

For more than six months, traffic on I-10 near the Mesquite Drive exit has been one lane each way, east and westbound.

“They need to hurry it up because it’s affecting the truck drivers really bad,” one motorist said. “I used to be a truck driver so I know what they’re going through. It’s really frustrating.”

“It’s really a hassle that every single day on our way back and forth from El Paso to Las Cruces we have to take detours. It’s really been a strain,” Robert Ramirez said.

New Mexico Department of Transportation crews have been working night and day to rebuild the Mesquite bridge overpass. But a spokeswoman told ABC-7 the project has already passed its expected completion date, due to weather and equipment delays. She couldn’t say exactly when the project was supposed to be completed.

The congestion has resulted in some people taking the frontage roads. However, for drivers who are not familiar with the area, that might not be the best detour.

The delay and traffic headaches have left some people delivering messages to NMDOT.

“Try your best to get into high gear, if you have a higher gear,” one driver said. “If not, look for a higher gear to finish up the construction as soon as possible to make people in the valley happy.”

The good news? ABC-7 has been told the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year and I-10 traffic flow can get back to normal. That is, as long as the upcoming roundabout project on the Vado exit doesn’t interfere.

A public meeting to discuss the I-10/Mesquite and I-10/Vado Interchange Improvement Project will be held 6 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Del Cerro Multipurpose Center at 180 La Fe Ave. in Mesquite, N.M.