Montana Expansion Project reaches major milestone bringing relief for east El Paso drivers

EL PASO, Texas – Starting Wednesday, March 9, drivers will be able to travel on the two new eastbound lanes of the Montana project. 

This is the latest milestone of the project. It will give drivers the opportunity to travel on the new main lanes for approximately three miles. 

Drivers can get on the new portion of the highway starting just past the Global Reach/ Yarbrough intersection to just before Saul Kleinfeld. 

However, there won’t be any exits on that three miles stretch just yet. Additionally, unlike other highways, the speed limit will remain 45mph. 

The eastbound frontage roads will be reduced to one lane. 

Prior to the opening of the traffic opening, a significant closure will occur Tuesday, March 8th starting at 8 p.m. Drivers going eastbound on Montana will have to detour south via Yarbrough. 

The eastbound lanes will be open at 6 a.m. Wednesday. 

Fransisco Mares, the assistance area engineer, said this is an exciting milestone for this part of town. 

“This is exciting. it's something that we never had. So for the typical driver, it's also something that is going to be quite exciting because that is going to be that means more time with their family or getting home sooner.”

“It’s a very important project. As we know the far east El Paso has experienced a tremendous amount of growth and with our facilities especially with Montana and the way it used to be it was already under capacity for the amount of traffic that we have, so for this, it’s going to add additional lanes of traffic. This is a very good thing for El Paso,” Mares said. 

The project in its entirety will be complete by Summer 2023.