UPDATE: The closure will be canceled from 9 p.m. through 5 a.m., but the single lane will continue for 10 to 12 weeks, according to Wright.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — TxDot started demolishing old bridges and making new lanes across North Mesa and Vinton throughout the summer months.
TxDot Public Information Officer Jennifer Wright says this is going to make a tremendous change for travelers when traveling west and east bound.
“Eventually it will go all the way to state line and in phase two. So basically, we are adding a lane to the middle all the way to from Mesa to the state line in two phases. This is phase one,” said Wright.
If you recall, the Widening West Project began a year ago and, and according to TxDot it has two more years to go.
While it may seem we have been driving on two lanes for some time, unfortunately I-10 west bound will be one lane for a while, Wright says.
“Luckily in this portion of I-10 we have frontage roads so we can see already today traffic is using the north desert, maybe more than they normally do. So, some traffic is diverting itself on to north desert and that’s very helpful,” said Wright.
If you’re planning to travel west bound towards Las Cruces, give yourself time before heading out the house as traffic buildup is expected.
“Right now, it’s very rural, so you’ll already have a little less traffic in that area. And what seems to be surprising to people are when there are lane shifts and those are areas where you tend to see minor crashes.”
Telling KTSM to keep an eye out for signs when approaching the high traffic build up ahead.
According to TxDot, the Widening West Project will run for 10 to 12 weeks from North Mesa to Vinton, with lane closures between 9 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information about the TxDot Widening West Project, click here. Want to know how traffic is looking before heading out? Click here.
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