Traffic detour through Durazno area neighborhood draws residents ire
EL PASO, Texas -- After the Texas Department of Transportation rerouted traffic through the Durazno area, residents living west of the Spaghetti Bowl contacted ABC-7 alleging that the extra volume of motorists has resulted in damage to their property and vehicles.
The traffic problems in the neighborhood began when TxDOT began detouring drivers off Gateway East for a road construction project.
According to ABC-7 viewers, there have been multiple vehicle accidents in the month of July which they blame on speeding traffic through their neighborhood.
In one case, a speeding vehicle hit another vehicle sending it through a rock wall. In another, a vehicle hit two parked cars and in yet another, a motorcyclist speeding in the area ran into a rock wall.
TxDOT spokeswoman Jennifer Wright told ABC-7 that speeding enforcement is a police matter...
"This is the first complaint I have heard. Speeding is a law enforcement issue. For some time after we placed temporary stop signs in the area, we included police presence to make sure folks were stopping at them. This was more than a year ago, and possibly close to two years ago (it’s a bit of a blur now)."
"On the bright side, we are finishing up in the area. The bridge over the frontage road is now complete, and we just need to clear and repair it (normal after it has been used as a staging area). We expect to reopen that section (and therefore stop using the detour) by mid-August if not before."
El Paso police have yet to respond to a request for comment on the situation.
