City council to look for fix on far east intersection

The El Paso City Council this week will be looking at what improvements can be made to a major intersection that has become a major spot for crashes.

The intersection of Rich Beem Boulevard and Edgemere Boulevard in far east El Paso is already infamous with residents in the area.

“It’s a very big problem. You have people coming all type of ways,” said Kevon Riley, who lives nearby. “You have a school right here, school down there, and it’s causing a big problem especially during the time when the schools are in, stuff like that.”

Rich Beem and Edgemere see fairly constant traffic. But there are no stop lights, only a four-way stop. There are not streetlights at the intersection or surrounding streets either.

“So yeah, it could potentially cause a lot of wrecks and all that type of stuff,” Riley said.

It may already be at that point. According to the City Council agenda for Tuesday, the intersection has seen 15 crashes over the past couple of years, including two fatalities. That could place in among the top 25 most dangerous intersections in El Paso.

With Hurshel Antwine Elementary School just a few blocks north of the intersection, residents argue something needs to be done.

“In the mornings when school starts, there’s no way,” said Caleb Terrazas. “I mean, people are not taking their turns, they’re flooring it, everything. It’s a mess. It’s a mess. It’s really, really dangerous.”