I-10 closure on the West Side opens ahead of schedule

UPDATE (Sunday 8:15 a.m.): El Paso Electric has confirmed that the closure is now open.

A major road closure is expected to begin Sunday at 3 a.m.

Both eastbound and westbound lanes of I-10 will be closed on El Paso’s west side and drivers can expect some traffic delays.

The closure is scheduled to last nine hours and as we’ve seen in the past, Mesa Street gets the brunt of the traffic back-up.

“This is a pain in the butt,” one frustrated driver told ABC-7 in March of 2016, when I-10 was was shut down for several hours and drivers on the west side will likely feel the same frustration early Sunday.

El Paso Electric says the closure is slated to begin at 3 a.m. and end at noon is for work on power lines.

If you’re headed east on I-10, the freeway will be shut down at Mesa. Drivers will have to exit onto the Mesa ramp and either take Mesa Street or Doniphan Road as a detour.

If you’re headed west, drivers will have to take the Resler exit and will be detoured onto Mesa Street.

West side resident Lucero Castro said the closures are unfortunate because it cuts into some family time.

“You only have Saturday and Sunday off and you want to enjoy those days and take the family wherever you want so it’s kind of a bummer,” Castro said.

“I’ve been stuck in the traffic many times,” said Ryan Sida

Sida lives and works in on the west side and he has a technique for staying calm during the grid lock

“I listen to the radio, listen to music, focus elsewhere,” Sida said.

Sida works at Zino’s cuisine. He’s not sure if extra traffic on Mesa Street would boost business

“It is a potential to be a boost for business if people see the restaurant and never been here but a lot of the times I think when people are stuck in traffic it’s like a detour and they just want to jump and get through it,” Sida said.

“It’s horrible to get from here to downtown. It’s horrible just to be in the traffic,” said Michael Suazo.

Suazo lives near I-10 and Mesa Street. He said he will avoid the mess at all costs.

“Stay home, have a good little Sunday fun day with friends and family and just stay away from the traffic,” Suazo said.

Paisano Street between Racetrack and Executive Drive has recently opened and can provide relief for those looking for an alternative route.