El Paso opens Spur 320, first phase of Borderland Expressway to ease traffic congestion, aid large trucks, and spur development. Costing $17.8M, phase two starts in Dec. 2025; total project cost estimated at $316M. Shared-use path for recreation included. Land mostly acquired from city and Fort Bliss Army Post.
Texas Department of Transportation photo
An aerial view of the early stages of the first phase of the Borderland Expressway construction in northeast El Paso.
The El Paso Department of Transportation announced the opening of Spur 320, the first phase of the Borderland Expressway, an 11-mi. planned route in northeast El Paso that stretches to the Texas/New Mexico state line.
The new highway will serve as a bypass route to avoid the congestion on Interstate 10 through downtown El Paso and is expected to improve traffic flow and ease passage for large trucks that often have difficulty traversing the Franklin Mountains via Transmountain Drive. The new highway also is expected to encourage new development in the northeast portion of the city.
A ribbon cutting marked the occasion on Feb. 11, 2025, at 10955 Railroad Drive. Several local leaders and dignitaries attended. Jordan Foster Construction served as the contractor.
"This new highway is not just another road, it is a game-changer for El Paso," El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson said at the event. "It will significantly improve the way we move around our city and the surrounding region. We are super excited and want to thank TxDOT and the entire team that put this together. I'm looking forward to phase two."
Eduardo Calvo, executive director of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) emphasized the value of teamwork: "It really is important to stress the need to coordinate and cooperate with all the regional stakeholders to get these types of projects built."
The MPO is tasked with helping prioritize area highway projects and lobbying for funding.
Tomas Treviño, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) El Paso District engineer, explained the impact this project will have on vehicular traffic in the region.
"We are excited about this initial milestone," he said. "Borderland Expressway will help address regional transportation needs by providing an alternate route to I-10. When finished, the new highway will complete a route around the northeast side of El Paso suitable for trucks and other through traffic. This is part of a three-phase project that will eventually connect New Mexico 213 to Loop 375."
This first phase, completed in mid-February, cost $17.8 million; this is the smallest portion of the project, spanning just a mile from Dyer Street (Business Route U.S. 54) to Railroad Drive.
The new highway section consists of two-lane frontage roads and a shared-use path. The shared-use path was built for runners, walkers and cyclists to enjoy recreation safely and free of vehicular traffic.
Spur 320 also has wrong-way driver technology installed and speed signage posted to optimize traffic safety. This portion of the highway will eventually serve as a gateway to the main expressway when phases two and three are completed in the coming years.
Equipment used on the project included slip-form pavers, water trucks, bulldozers, backhoes, excavators, loaders, rollers, bucket trucks (cherry pickers), saws and a texture/cure machine. The materials used in the first phase included concrete, asphalt, base, flowable backfill, electrical equipment for signals/ITS/illumination, signs, Type 1 and Type 2 pavement markings, raised pavement markers, metal beam guard fencing, PVC pipe and steel casing.
The project's second phase will comprise a 6.8-mi. stretch from Martin Luther King Drive at the New Mexico state line on a southeast trajectory to Railroad Drive. This stretch falls along the Union Pacific Railroad line in a mixed-use area that blends industrial and residential development.
Phase two construction costs are estimated at $146 million, and the project is expected to begin in December 2025 with anticipated completion in 2030. The contractor for phase two has yet to be named; the bid is expected to be awarded this summer.
Phase two of the Borderland Expressway includes ramps, intersections, bridges, drainage, lighting, traffic signals and an extension of the shared-use path recently completed in phase one. The lists of equipment and materials required in phase one are expected to be replicated for subsequent phases of the Borderland Expressway.
Phase three, which comprises the final 3 mi. of the 11-mi. expressway, is in the design stage with funding still to be secured. The projected cost is approximately $150 million. No start date is scheduled.
The total construction price tag for the Borderland Expressway is expected to be $316 million, not counting land acquisition. Most of the land acquired for the project came from the city and Fort Bliss Army Post.
The Borderland Expressway Project, formerly known as the Northeast Parkway project, has been under discussion by TxDOT since 2002. Environmental impact studies and public engagement, including virtual and in-person hearings, were conducted in the early planning phases.
(All photos courtesy of Texas Department of Transportation.)
Keri White
Keri White has been a writer and journalist for several decades, covering topics spanning asphalt to zucchini. Her work has appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Style and the Jewish Exponent. She is the author of an award-winning book, “The Mommy Code,” and has freelanced for diverse clients in the areas of construction, finance, food, manufacturing, fashion, supply chain, architecture, health and wellness and real estate. She lives in a very old house in Philadelphia, and loves to travel, cook and throw parties.
Read more from Keri White here.
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