McNutt-Paisano connection now open
After nearly two years of construction for the Border West Expressway project, the McNutt to Paisano connection has reopened.
The Doniphan to Paisano connection reopened after an eight month closure back in February. Last year, TxDOT District Engineer Bob Bielek told ABC-7 the McNutt to Paisano connection would also reopen in February, but it did not reopen until this week.
Once completed, the Border West Expressway will connect to Transmountain and will run alongside I-10 to Sunland Park.
It will give drivers an alternative to I-10 or Mesa. The ongoing construction has forced drivers to take detours, extending their commute. While the project is still under construction, there’s some relief now that the Paisano-McNutt connection has reopened.
If you’re driving west on Paisano a little past Executive, you now have two routes to take. You can take Paisano to Doniphan or Paisano to McNutt in Sunland Park.
Frank Hernandez owns El Carousel Convenience Store, located at the corner of the connection. Hernandez said they depend on drivers traveling through Sunland Park onto Paisano.
The small business owner is glad things are starting to get back to normal.
“Before, the people were detouring up Sunland Park drive, they would go up to the stores over there and we would not see them,” Hernandez said. “So now, since they’re coming here through the evenings after work, and on the weekends now heading to downtown, so now they’ll stop by.”
Hernandez told ABC-7 he estimates he lost 75% of his business during construction. “They closed it in October 2015,” he said, “Hopefully, this was the last closure.”
District Engineer Bob Bielek told ABC-7 in July of last year, the connection would open in February of this year, at the same time as the Doniphan to Paisano connection.
TxDOT officials say there were issues with the substrata, or clay. Water from rain and the rio affected the chemistry of the concrete roadway, forcing crews to wait for it to dry out.
Once completed, the Border West Expressway will connect to Transmountain and will run along side I-10 to Sunland Park, which will give drivers an alternate route when there’s congestion on I-10 or Mesa.
