TxDOT: Traffic will be worse in 2018 than 2017

2018 will not be kind to El Paso drivers.

TxDOT district engineer Bob Bielek said work on some of the most cumbersome construction projects will take place within the first three months.

“It will be worse, particularly in the Sunland Park area, and in the area in front of the Fountains (at Farah),” Bielek said. “It’s not going to get better anytime soon, so don’t expect it.”

Bielek said the $158 million GO-10 Project should be completed by the end of the year. He said the toughest part will be when crews demolish the fly-over entrance ramp to I-10 East, and when they extend the current Sunland Park overpass. He said this will take about three months to complete.

“The Sunland Park area is the most difficult part to construct on GO-10,” Bielek said. “There will be a lot of closures associated with that, a lot of changes in how traffic is handled in that area.”

Crews began constructing braided ramps at the intersections of Hawkins, Airway and Viscount boulevards, particularly near the Fountains at Farah on Tuesday. This is intended to keep vehicles from using the same lanes to merge. This construction could last until November.

Drivers tell ABC-7 they’re frustrated, but not surprised.

“If we’re going to travel, we’re going to have to wait,” Albert Alvarado said.

Here are key construction projects taking place in 2018:

West:

I-10 EB Fly-over entrance ramp at Sunland Park will be demolished I-10 at Sunland Park overpass will be extended further West I-10 WB Executive Center ramp to be replaced

Northeast:

US-54 widening project from Hondo Pass to Transmountain

East:

Fountains Braided Ramp Project Work at I-10 Americas Interchange to be completed Widening of Loop 375 between Montana and Bob Hope