University Avenue to see improvements by next summer

A street often used by University of El Paso students will be getting a makeover soon.

The city is getting ready to make some major improvements on University Avenue but what prompted the enhancements?

“We’re seeing an increase in both pedestrians and cyclists around UTEP so this is going to be an improvement for them,” said Ismael Cepeda, project manager for the city.

The project is going to start on University Avenue at Oregon Street and continue to Stanton Street.

The street will be reconstructed with 10-foot lanes including a turning lane.

Five-foot sidewalks will be added on each side coupled with landscaping.

ABC-7 found students from the UTEP Baptist Student Ministry sprucing up the area.

“We saw that UTEP put Centennial Plaza and that brings out a lot of El Paso. We need grass and areas where we can hang out and them remaking it and this is the first time I hear about it, but hopefully it’s for the best,” said student Francisco Lizardo

The project will also include bike lanes.

“Hopefully it facilitates that and it bring us to be more trusting in the lanes when there’s cars and vehicles and the trolleys,” Lizardo said.

The city plans on installing lighting in the area as well.

“It’s pretty dark at night and even just walking from the library back to your car when we park here it just makes you know that you are secure,” Lizardo said.

The project will cost $1.1 million and is expected to be completed by next summer.