Construction projects overlap in West El Paso, causing major congestion

Several construction projects have overlapped in West El Paso, causing major congestion.

TXDot closed a section of Paisano between Executive Center to Sunland Park Monday to work on the Border West Expressway Project. Separately, crews working on the El Paso Streetcar Project have closed down sections of other streets in West El Paso, including Stanton and Oregon. There are also lane closures on I-10 West near Executive. Drivers who try to avoid backup on I-10 and the closed section of Paisano, take Mesa as a detour, but that’s proving to be a problem as well.

“At the end of the day, one street cannot handle the freeway and plus another major corridor’s traffic. It’s difficult,” City of El Paso Streets & Maintenance Director Ted Marquez said.

The City says they’re notified by TXDot before a construction project begins. The city re-synchronizes traffic lights and signals on city streets like Mesa to help traffic flow better during rush hours.

TXDot’s District Engineer Bob Bielek says there’s little the city or TXDot can do to avoid projects overlapping. Bielek says funding and timing play huge roles.

“We have Category 12, or discretionary funding, that came out of the mobility fund for the big project, the $600,000,000 Border West Expressway Project. We cobbled together the funding for the Go 10 project from all the other resources that are available, and we had to do it, because it was the only time we could get the project done,” Bielek said.

Crews are also working on the El Paso Streetcar Project. Spokesman Martin Bartlett says working around UTEP’s school schedule made the most sense.

“Everybody is on a schedule and wants to get the project they’re responsible for, completed,” Bartlett said.

While it’s all happening at what feels like an inconvenient time, Bielek says it could be even worse. TXDot had two options–work on the Go 10 and Border West Expressway projects separately, or at the same time. Since the two interconnect near Paisano, he says it’s better to get the work done now.

Bielek says timing tops the list when considering some of the pros to construction: shorter construction time, lower price tag and better long-term traffic management. Drivers have seen some of the cons: more congestion, fewer alternative routes and longer commute.

“The more important issue as to why we’re doing both at the same time is simply the connection and the fact that we can cut the public’s pain from 7-8 years to 3 1/2 to 4 years,” Bielek said.

The streetcar construction will wrap up in mid-August before school starts. Construction around Paisano will last roughly eight months.