TXDOT to Close I-10 Near UTEP this Weekend for Construction

The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) will close Interstate 10 near the University of Texas at El Paso again this weekend. The closure is necessary to place concrete girders over I-10 as part of the Spur 1966 (Schuster Avenue) overpass project.

Concrete girders have already been placed over a UTEP parking lot as part of the Spur 1966 project. (Haydon Building Corp.)

Both eastbound and westbound lanes will close on Sunday, June 8, from 5:00 a.m. through Monday, June 9, at 6:00 a.m. Eastbound traffic will be forced to exit at Sunland Park Drive, while westbound commuters will have to exit at Porfirio Diaz Street.

Weekly Edition, Issue 56

The Weekly Edition, Issue 56 has arrived! Take a look at the newest issue of our Weekly Edition, by clicking HERE. (Note: The newsletter will open in PDF format.)

In this edition:

• Sun Bowl, Haskins Center to get Upgraded Video Displays
• 'TI:ME' Teases New Restaurants as Opening Nears
• I-10 to Close Near UTEP this Weekend for Construction
• El Paso Chihuahuas Win MiLB 'Clash of the Caps'

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Weekly Edition, Issue 29

The Weekly Edition, Issue 29 has arrived! Take a look at the newest issue of our Weekly Edition, by clicking HERE. (Note: The newsletter will open in PDF format.)

In this edition:

• East El Paso, Fort Bliss to See More Highway Construction
• San Antonio Avenue a Two-Way Street Beginning Monday
• NewsBits by El Paso DevWire

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Weekly Edition, Issue 22-23

The Weekly Edition, Issue 22-23, has arrived! This is a Double Issue. Take a look at the newest issue of our Weekly Edition, by clicking HERE. (Note: The newsletter will open in PDF format.)

In this edition:

• City Debuts Renderings of Airport Rental Structure
• UTEP Update: Schuster Roundabout Completed
• Work Begins on Ballpark's Eastern Entrance
• Retail Buzz: Restaurants Expand Further East in El Paso
• Yucca Park Improvements Highlighted at Meeting

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Schuster Roundabout to Open August 25th

The roundabout that is part of the Schuster Avenue realignment and overpass at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is scheduled to open August 25, 2013. That’s according to the most recent UTEP Headlines Newscast (www.onthemove.utep.edu).

The new roundabout will control traffic travelling along Schuster Avenue and eventually connect to the future overpass at Interstate 10. Schuster will travel westward over the freeway and connect with Paisano Drive. It will eventually have an interchange with the Border Highway West extension when it is constructed in the coming years.

This diagram shows a concept of the decorative plan for the pedestrian walkway under the roundabout. (TXDOT)

Pedestrians will have an underpass walkway available which will connect UTEP’s southern parking lots to the main campus. The walkway will travel directly underneath the roundabout. Decorative elements will mirror the school’s Bhutanese architectural style.

TXDOT officials hope to have the entire Spur 1966 project completed by fall of 2014.

Weekly Edition, Issue 10

The Weekly Edition, Issue 10, has arrived! Take a look at the newest issue of our Weekly Edition, by clicking HERE.

In this edition:

• Ring Around the City: Loop 375 Stacked with Projects (Update)
• Schuster Roundabout to Open this Fall
• Country Club Road Construction to Last 560 Days

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Spur 1966 Project Design to Include UTEP Architectural Style, El Paso Themes

The project to extend Schuster Avenue over Interstate 10 near the University of Texas at El Paso will include aesthetic elements that reflect the school's architecture as well as themes familiar to residents. The extension, called Spur 1966 in homage to the national champion UTEP basketball team, then called Texas Western College, will realign Schuster and connect it to Paisano Drive to the west.

Future Schuster Ave/Paisano Drive intersection, looking east.

Two different sections of the project will include clear aesthetic elements. The first, the pedestrian walkway underneath a proposed roundabout, will have color and architectural elements reflective of the University itself. Bhutanese style columns and embellishments will surround passersby as they travel to and from the adjacent parking lots.

Planned aesthetic improvements to pedestrian underpass at the roundabout.

The second section that will include aesthetic upgrades will be a segment of Paisano Drive north of the future Schuster intersection, at the point where the road transitions from surface level to bridge. A mural of sorts will decorate the concrete wall that supports the road above for several feet. Themes in the concept image include cowboys, mountains, yucca plants, the Rio Grande River, and missions.

Proposed decorative elements along a concrete wall on Paisano Drive.

Construction on the Spur 1966 project could start in spring of 2013 and be completed by fall of 2014. The Texas Department of Transportation hopes to have the environmental assessment ready by summer's end.

Previously:
Schuster Extension May Include Pedestrian Underpass, Roundabout
UTEP Plan Shows Schuster Realignment

Spur 1966 Design Summary (PDF): https://dl.dropbox.com/u/26579627/2013-03-13/2013-03-13-BA-ITEM4.pdf
TxDOT Project Page: http://www.dot.state.tx.us/project_information/projects/el_paso/spur_1966.htm

Schuster Extension May Include Pedestrian Underpass, Roundabout

Plans for the State's proposed Schuster re-alignment and extension over Interstate 10 may include a roundabout which incorporates a pedestrian underpass, helping to remove foot traffic from what is sure to become a busy intersection. The realigned roadway will be called Spur 1966, an homage to UTEP's historic national championship win in basketball nearly 50 years ago.

The roundabout will be placed where Schuster currently turns into its S-curve when travelling west. A new off-shoot will become the new Schuster and travel directly west through existing parking lots, over I-10, and connect to Paisano and possibly the new Loop 375 west extension. The current interchange at Schuster and I-10 will remain.

According to preliminary conceptual images, pedestrian passageways will be built underneath the proposed roundabout, allowing UTEP students to travel from parking lots to the campus without interfering with vehicular traffic. Designs are preliminary and subject to change.

Construction could start in spring of 2013 and be completed by fall of 2014. The Texas Department of Transportation hopes to have the environmental assessment ready by summer's end.

TxDOT Project Page: http://www.dot.state.tx.us/project_information/projects/el_paso/spur_1966.htm

Previously:
UTEP Plan Shows Schuster Realignment

UTEP Plan Shows Schuster Realignment

The UTEP Master Plan, unveiled last year, shows massive changes, including a doubling of building space, removing vehicular traffic from the campus core, and a realignment of Schuster Avenue which will move it southward and create an overpass at I-10.

Currently, Schuster Ave. takes a curve northward and then back westward when approaching the freeway from the east. In the new plan, Schuster continues westward in a nearly straight line, crossing I-10 via a new overpass that the City has said it supports. If all goes as planned, Schuster would connect to Paisano, making the campus more accessible for students.

It's still unclear how a Border Highway west extension would connect to the plan. Previous mentions of the 375 extension have indicated that the main lanes of the new freeway would float above Paisano.