EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/ CBS4) \u2014 After decades of anticipation, the long-planned Montwood Drive extension on El Paso\u2019s far East Side is moving closer to construction, a project city officials say will create a major new connection through District 5 and help ease traffic congestion.<\/p>\n
City officials said the design is complete and that nearly all of the property needed for the roadway has been acquired. Ivan Nino said, \u201cAs of this morning, we’ve acquired 13 properties out of 14, which is a big milestone.\u201d He added the city expects to finish remaining steps \u201csometime this summer,\u201d and is \u201cprojected to start the construction of the project this fall.\u201d<\/p>\n
The extension is expected to create another east-west route through District 5, with the goal of reducing congestion on Zaragoza Road, one of the area\u2019s busiest corridors.<\/p>\n
Construction is expected to take about a year. Because the roadway will be built in an undeveloped area, crews will first need to install infrastructure including utilities and water lines. Officials said residents should see minimal traffic disruptions during construction.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe good thing about the actual construction project is that it’s an isolated project where we won’t see potential road closures, and if there is, there’s going to be very minimal,\u201d Nino said. \u201cOnce the project opens, I mean, it’s going to deviate a lot of the traffic in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once completed, the Montwood Drive extension is expected to give drivers another option across the far East Side and help ease daily congestion along Zaragoza Road.<\/p>\n
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