Sundt Construction Co. is working on the $243.7M TxDOT SH 178 project near El Paso, improving safety and mobility. The project aims to reduce congestion, enhance access to border crossings and accommodate future traffic demands. Construction started in 2020 and includes direct connectors, U-turn bridges and shared-use paths. Coordination with utility companies is crucial for successful project delivery. Scheduled for completion in 2030, the project involves phased construction and various equipment to meet infrastructure needs.
Texas Department of Transportation photo
A drilling crew works on an intersection along Texas State Highway 178.
The Sundt Construction Co. began construction of the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) $243.7 million State Highway 178 (Artcraft Road) project on April 7 — work that covers a bit more than 3 mi. of highway from the Texas-New Mexico state line to Interstate 10 in El Paso.
The project, which is being financed by federal and state funds, is expected to be completed in 2030.
The initiative's goals are two-fold: enhance safety for motorists and improve mobility in the fast-developing corridor.
"These changes will streamline traffic at the Artcraft Road/I-10 interchange, enhance east-west travel between New Mexico 136 and I-10, and improve access from cargo facilities to the Santa Teresa Border Crossing," said Lauren Macias-Cervantes, a TxDOT spokesperson. "The area adjacent to SH 178 has been subject to rapid residential and commercial development. It has created a need to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion along the corridor, as well as at the intersecting streets of Westside Drive and Upper Valley Road.
"Additionally, development near and around the SH 178/I-10 interchange, including West Towne Marketplace, resulted in a traffic increase of 34 percent from 2017 to 2020, creating the need to reduce traffic congestion in this area.
"Furthermore, the project is of regional and international significance as SH 178 provides a connection between the Santa Teresa Border Crossing to the National Highway Freight Network of I-10," she added. "The Santa Teresa Port of Entry, situated at the border between Santa Teresa, New Mexico, and San Jerónimo, and Chihuahua, Mexico, has been a vital gateway since its establishment in 1992. Just minutes away from Texas, its strategic location contributes to its importance in facilitating trade and travel between the United States and Mexico."
The roadway also is a direct commercial route to and from the Union Pacific Railroad Intermodal Facility, near the port.
"It's no surprise residents have experienced increased congestion and travel delays," Macias-Cervantes said. "The mix of truck and passenger vehicles using the thoroughfare every day has raised concerns about safety, including encounters with large freight vehicles. One specific issue involves wind turbine blades as long as 200 feet that are regularly transported through the corridor. This type of cargo has difficulty maneuvering turns at intersections, including the interchange at I-10 and SH 178."
The project was developed to address these challenges and increase the reliability of travel time, accommodate future traffic demands and enhance connectivity in the regional transportation network.
Long in the Works
The planning/corridor study began in early 2017 and was completed in July 2018. The preliminary design and environmental process began in 2020. The final design started in 2022 and was completed in 2024.
This stretch of highway was constructed in the late 1990s. Its last major reconstruction was completed in 2001. More than 50,000 vehicles are projected to use the road daily.
The project is constructing direct connectors at the I-10 interchange to provide drivers with direct access to I-10 east and west and to Artcraft Rd.; building U-turn bridges at the Artcraft Road /I-10 interchange, improving the frontage road between I-10 and SH 20 (Doniphan Drive) by rebuilding sections of the road and extending the frontage roads in both directions; adding bridges at the intersections of Artcraft Road at Upper Valley Road and Westside Drive, along with new entrance and exit ramps; and adding improvements for a shared-use path to create a more accessible and safe experience.
Two consultants designed the transformative project. TxDOT Project Manager Sheetal Patel worked closely with HNTB, which completed the schematics, and HDR, which completed the plans, specifications and estimates.
"The flexibility to refine the design was a key element in the successful project delivery," Patel said. "Input from public hearings on the preliminary design resulted in many design refinements into final design to minimize impacts to adjacent properties. One specific pivot point occurred when a critical parcel along the right-of-way was determined to be potentially historic.
To avoid delays, the alignment was refined, and the frontage road was shifted away from the property.
"The design was also adjusted to accommodate potential wind blades up to 275 feet. in the future," she added. "A custom template was created to model the transport of a 275-foot blade through each existing intersection and direct connector. Constant communication and coordination with all stakeholders invested in the project area have been an important part of project development."
Coordination Key
Utility coordination was essential with nine active utility companies within the project corridor.
"Each required clear communication regarding scope and schedule of the project, as 243 potential conflicts were identified," Patel said. "Each conflict was evaluated to determine if it could be avoided, minimized or mitigated. Utility companies met with TxDOT on a biweekly basis to coordinate the work on design, relocations and permitting. These meetings played a key role in resolving the number of conflicts. TxDOT also partnered with the city's water company to include their relocations and improvements in the design plans."
The lifespan of the new infrastructure is 20 years for flexible pavement, 30 years for concrete pavement and 70 years for bridges.
Steel I-girders will be used for bridge structures. Corridor bridge columns and retaining walls were designed with a unique aesthetic and coordinated color scheme.
The traffic control plan phasing was specifically designed to allow construction to start in areas with minimal right-of-way acquisition to reduce the risk of delays.
"Construction ingress and egresses have been identified in the construction plans," Patel said. "Traffic control phasing provides large work zones for constructability and accommodates the movement of supplies, equipment and works in, out and within the work zones."
Five Phases
The project is being constructed in five phases, some of which may run concurrently.
Sundt crews began at the Texas/New Mexico state line, focusing on intelligent transportation systems (ITS) illumination, drainage, retaining walls, pavement and a shared-use path on the Eastbound Frontage Road. From there, the crews will move onto the Westbound Frontage Road.
Phase 0 has crews constructing temporary pavement along the Artcraft Road median and installing ITS systems. Phase 1 will focus on ramps, frontage roads and a shared-use path at Westside Drive and Upper Valley Road.
Phase 2 will concentrate on main lanes, bridges, retaining walls, intersections and U-turns at Westside Drive and Upper Valley Road. Phase 3 deals with direct-connector work within the existing I-10 right-of-way, and Phase 4 covers ramps, direct-connectors and median work at the new right-of-way.
Sundt will begin by detouring eastbound traffic to the center median to gain access to construct the new ramps and intersections. Crews will then install drainage and retaining walls along the eastbound ramps. New ponds will be excavated and sloped. Embankment material will be imported, and final grading will occur.
"Challenges will be the limited work zone for placing final pavement and paving portions of the intersections at Westside Drive and Upper Valley," said Sundt Construction Project Manager Joe Hernandez. "Constructing all phases of the project while having minimal impact to the traveling public [is another, as are] constructing direct connectors over I-10 and South Desert, and utility installation through existing business complexes."
Most of the work will be conducted during the day, with occasional daytime lane closures. Night operations will be needed for bridge work.
"Utilities will have to be installed through business driveways and existing utilities conflict with proposed work," said Hernandez.
Main lane sections and direct connectors will have concrete lanes, while ramps at Westside Drive and Upper Valley and the U-Turn bridge tie-in with South Desert have asphalt lanes.
"Work at Westside Drive and Upper Valley will start the project," Hernandez said. "Shortly thereafter, construction at the Artcraft U-turn bridges over I-10 will begin in the third quarter of this year, and direct connector construction will begin in the late fall/early winter."
Traffic along I-10 will need to be shifted to the exterior medians to allow for construction of the median bents improving the frontage road between I-10 and State Highway 20 (Doniphan Drive) by rebuilding sections of the road and extending the frontage roads in both directions.
Adding bridges at the intersections of Artcraft Road at Upper Valley Road and Westside Drive, along with new entrance and exit ramps, will transform those busy intersections. Mechanically stabilized earth walls will be constructed at the bridge abutments with interior bents at the intersection.
Ramps at the intersection will be constructed in multiple phases.
Varied Equipment
For the ongoing temporary lane building, operators are using motor graders, including Cat 150 models, which also are in action for the site prep operations for the new main lanes.
Dozers, excavators and loaders are doing their part inside enclosed areas protected by K-rail barriers.
Crews employ telehandlers at various sites to help install vertical poles where signs and ITS systems are placed on horizontal poles attached to them. Tri-State Electric teams are using truck-mounted drill rigs to drill holes for the electrical infrastructure required for the ITS systems. Poles are transported to the sites on specialized vehicles.
Sundt's project management team includes Project Manager Joe Hernandez, Project Superintendent Vicente Garner, Project Engineer Sergio Trabulsi and Field Engineers Joshua del Toro, Nallely Leyva, Joaquin Leos and Jose Gonzalez.
The TxDOT team consists of Project Manager Christian Wong, Construction Inspector Benito Trevino, along with construction engineering and inspection support from JMT.
"Sundt is looking forward to continuing that process and delivering a safe and successful project to the El Paso area," Hernandez said. "Sundt crews have been working in the El Paso area for many years."
Subcontractors include Hardy Hole Drilling, Tri-State Electric, Allied Paving, FC Traffic Control and Hawk Construction.
Excavation operations are expected to generate 65,000 cu. yds. and the removal of base and asphalt another 107,183 sq. yds. New material will include 306,000 cu. yds. of embankment.
Sundt said it has mechanics onsite 24/7 to handle daily wear and tear issues and ensure that routine maintenance schedules are met. CEG
(All photos courtesy of the Texas Department of Transportation.)
Irwin Rapoport
A journalist who started his career at a weekly community newspaper, Irwin Rapoport has written about construction and architecture for more than 15 years, as well as a variety of other subjects, such as recycling, environmental issues, business supply chains, property development, pulp and paper, agriculture, solar power and energy, and education. Getting the story right and illustrating the hard work and professionalism that goes into completing road, bridge, and building projects is important to him. A key element of his construction articles is to provide readers with an opportunity to see how general contractors and departments of transportation complete their projects and address challenges so that lessons learned can be shared with a wider audience.
Rapoport has a BA in History and a Minor in Political Science from Concordia University. His hobbies include hiking, birding, cycling, reading, going to concerts and plays, hanging out with friends and family, and architecture. He is keen to one day write an MA thesis on military and economic planning by the Great Powers prior to the start of the First World War.
Read more from Irwin Rapoport here.
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