An aerial view of downtown El Paso, showing the traffic and densely populated city along the US-Mexican border.

Border Highway West Loop 375 Toll Road Bridges

Border congestion solutions

Project Facts

Location El Paso, Texas
Owner Texas Department of Transportation
Cost $650 million
Status Completed 2020

Overview

In order to improve congestion near the US/Mexico border, our team spearheaded the design and implementation of a new 11-mile, six-lane toll road built adjacent to the border to provide an alternative east-west route to Interstate 10. The project involved intricate coordination across various disciplines, including bridge engineering, traffic engineering, and transportation engineering, showcasing proactive approaches and innovative solutions for a successful outcome.

Aerial view of the Loop 375 roadway that leads to the US-Mexico border in El Paso.

Decorative supports for a bridge along the US-Mexico border in El Paso, featuring a colored wave design on the vertical concrete supports under the drivable portion of the bridge.

An aerial view of the US-Mexico border in El Paso, featuring a new bridge that helps to alleviate traffic congestion at the popular crossing.

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About the project

Our team played a pivotal role in various disciplines, including bridge engineering, traffic engineering, transportation engineering, and ITS. The scope included designing ITS, tolling systems, traffic signals, signing, striping, and relocating border patrol facilities. Challenges were met by our traffic group, such as placing ITS and tolling devices on bridges to avoid railroad track relocation, involving coordination across three levels of government and multiple utilities. The project involved the installation of 9 miles of fiber, deployment of 100 ITS devices, and the establishment of 6 toll plazas, featuring bridge spans ranging from 80 to 205 feet.

As the traffic design task leader, we oversaw and coordinated all traffic and illumination activities, showcasing proactive coordination and innovative design processes. The transportation group designed two bridges, including the largest and most complex 61-span structure, demonstrating consistent design processes for 38 bridges.

Since completion, this hallmark project has successfully relieved congestion in the urban area near the border.

Awards

2020 AASHTO Transportation Award