Overnight traffic closures at Montwood Dr. and Zaragoza Rd. this weekend

Drivers in east El Paso should prepare for a closure at the intersection of Montwood Drive and Zaragoza Road this weekend.

The closures will happen overnight, but businesses and restaurants in the area attract scores of people heading out weekend nights.

The intersection will close Friday night at 10 p.m. and will open Saturday morning at 8 a.m.

It will close once more Saturday night at 10 p.m. and will open Sunday morning at 8 a.m.

The Texas Department of Transportation will begin a project later this year to connect Zaragoza Rd. east and west of Loop 375.

Currently the major east El Paso artery is divided by Loop 375. Drivers are forced to briefly hop on to Joe Battle Blvd. to continue on Zaragoza, east of Loop 375.

It is a similar route for drivers who take Zaragoza to any other area west of Loop 375.

Before TxDOT can begin its own construction, El Paso Electric has to relocate transmission poles and lines.

“We’ve requested that El Paso Electric move their transmission lines out of the way so we can complete our work,” TxDOT spokeswoman Jennifer Wright said.

The work will consist of installing new hardware, transferring wire, installing new wire and the removal of three structures.

“The project is scheduled to begin in August, but construction usually starts three to four months after a project begins,” Wright said.

As for construction, Wright said it could take 18-24 months to complete the construction.

An El Paso Electric spokesman said the relocation of transmission lines has to be done before June 1 because as the weather heats up, power use in El Paso increases drastically. The utility does not want any downed power lines.

Montwood and Zaragoza is one of the busiest and most dangerous intersections in the city. In 2016, ten crashes were recorded in that area, according to the El Paso Police Department.

Just several yards away, the intersection of Montwood and Joe Battle is also one of the most dangerous intersections with 24 crashes documented in 2016.

“It should relieve a lot of conflicts that occur there because right now you have large amounts of traffic coming up Zaragoza meeting with a large amount of traffic coming from Montwood,” Wright said.

The project will begin in August, but no completion date has been confirmed.