$600M Border West Expwy. Displacing Businesses

The Texas Department of Transportation’s $600 million Border West Expressway project is geared to expand El Paso’s border highway, and to complete Loop 375. The goal is to decrease congestion on Interstate 10. The project, however, means the acquisition of 44 business properties, five houses and 30 vacant properties, with $150 million of the total cost dedicated to buying the sites.

According to Bob Bielek, TXDOTs El Paso district engineer, it’s typical to have property acquisitions for a large highway project. But, unlike other projects, the Border West Expressway is being built on existing rights-of-way that include TXDOT land, railroad land, and International Boundary and Water Commission land. This has lessened the need to acquire private properties.

The 7.4-mile expressway is west of downtown El Paso and south of I-10.

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Amy Sorter