New Border Highway Connector will connect Santa Teresa, Sunland Park
SANTA TERESA, New Mexico (KVIA) -- A new Border Highway Connector is set to be built connecting Santa Teresa, Sunland Park, Loop 375, and Paisano at the Texas/New Mexico state line.
The new route will start at Pete V. Domenici Blvd and end at McNutt Rd.
According to the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT), the project is set to cost around $79 million.
It is also set to be a quicker route from Sunland Park and El Paso to have ingress and egress of the Santa Teresa industrial area if Pete Domenici closes.
"The need for the proposed Border HighwayConnector, a new roadway corridor, is based on the gaps and inadequacies of the transportation network in this area of the state. The issues resulting from the need include safety concerns, congestion, lack of connectivity, and limited economic development," said Ami Evans, a spokeswoman with NMDOT.
The project will bid in the fall of 2025 and the construction is anticipated to begin by early 2026.
According to the Highway Connector's study, there were six alternatives for this project.
The current preferred route is #3, which will cross over five miles of desert land and also go above active Union Pacific Railroad tracks into Sunland Park.
NMDOT, New Mexico Border Authority, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, and Bohannan Huston could take a decision next month, after the June 13th deadline for public comments on the project.
