El Paso/Lubbock/Wichita Falls U.S. 54 - Future Interstate? Can It Happen? (Alamo: motels, home)

[case44]

Originally Posted by atrabilius

If we're going to make US 54 an Interstate highway, this might be a good way to do it: from El Paso up to New Mexico Route 219 at Pastura, New Mexico, southwest of Santa Rosa; then north along New Mexico 219 to I-40 west of Santa Rosa; then north along US 84 to I-25 at Romeroville, south of Las Vegas. I think this would follow part of USDOT's SPIRIT High-Priority Corridor and parallel the Camino Real High-Priority Corridor to the east, diverting some traffic that now goes through Albuquerque along I-25. I think running it around Orogrande would be a good idea (make the current US 54 a business route running through town).

Maybe we could even extend this Interstate southeastward from the south end of the Patriot Freeway near the Bridge of the Americas along the Cesar Chavez Border Highway to I-10 at Esperanza. It's supposed to be extended from the Zaragoza port of entry to the Fabens port of entry anyway; this extension would connect to the Fort Hancock port of entry as well and provide an alternative route to I-10 through El Paso in the bargain.

As for Interstate highway numbers, 23 isn't taken, although calling this highway I-23 would deviate from the numbering scheme, since it would run east of I-25 and according to the numbering scheme north-south Interstate Highways are generally numbered west to east. But 27 is taken (I-27 runs through Lubbock).

If it runs too dangerously close to I-10, I doubt that type of routing is going to happen. And Border Highway is talked about as being extended from the current terminus to I-10 near Executive Center. It's still on the table, though.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by 6 FOOT 3

Don't feel too bad as NMDOT is 500 million in the hole and climbing. At this session coming up in Feb at the legislature ....they will discuss which taxes to raise....

They said either the gas tax or the auto registration fees are going up. They said Tolls in NM is pretty much dead.

But we spent around 300 million on a train that goes about 50 miles from Rio Rancho to Belen that carries about 100 or so at a time.

I'm very much fuming at the Governor (Richardson) at that one as that was his pet project.

Amen to that one, Harry.

People in other parts of the state that don't benefit from Road Runner are NOT happy.


In the meantime, I look at some of the roads around here.....

[6 FOOT 3]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

Amen to that one, Harry.

People in other parts of the state that don't benefit from Road Runner are NOT happy.


In the meantime, I look at some of the roads around here.....

We may have to go get Licence Plates in Texas at the way NM is going on this mess at NMDOT.

Don't get me started on Alamo's roads Cathy as thats a whole another issue to FUME at. When i move back to Alamogordo i swear i'm gonna run for Mayor if the infustructure doesn't get any better....

[case44]

In the meantime, I can only see something like I-44 making a grand entry past the Texas state line with a grand northeast gateway into El Paso, heading straight towards the Franklin Mountains. That'd be a pretty good gateway, wouldn't you think?

That's what vision does to you.

[Muhnay]

Case have you seen the awesome Gateway on I-10 as you come in from Dallas.. that overpass at night is awesome.. you know your in El Paso once you drive under that..

And then the West side out by Anthony used to have an awesome bridge gateway too.. What we need is a really big and outstanding Visitor Station right there.. like they have on the Blue Star highway. Thats an awesome Visitor/Rest Stop.

[atrabilius]

Border Highway is talked about as being extended from the current terminus to I-10 near Executive Center.

Yeah, and the El Paso Times not long also had it being extended east to Fabens to connect to the international bridge there, which is being upgraded. If it was extended even further east to connect to I-10 near Esperanza, you'd have a loop highway paralleling congested I-10 along the river most of the way through El Paso.

[case44]

Originally Posted by Muhnay

Case have you seen the awesome Gateway on I-10 as you come in from Dallas.. that overpass at night is awesome.. you know your in El Paso once you drive under that..

And then the West side out by Anthony used to have an awesome bridge gateway too.. What we need is a really big and outstanding Visitor Station right there.. like they have on the Blue Star highway. Thats an awesome Visitor/Rest Stop.

The bridge work is great once you're downtown and also up on the northwest side. And remember, Americas Blvd is getting a new interchange at I-10. For the record, U.S. 54 and I-10 have the only stack in your city (a stack is a multi-level interchange). And that's one more reason to lobby for an interstate on U.S. 54. The connection to 10 is there.

[Muhnay]

The Spaghetti Bowl.. yeah There will be two more in El Paso soon enough.. I think you even posted pictures of them on here some place Case.

[case44]

Originally Posted by Muhnay

The Spaghetti Bowl.. yeah There will be two more in El Paso soon enough.. I think you even posted pictures of them on here some place Case.

Unfortunately, I've never posted any pics on C-D yet. One day, I'll probably learn how.

And if 54 were to become an interstate, you'd possibly have at least two more multi-level interchanges. I know there could be one at the proposed Northeast Parkway, and maybe a scaled-down one at Trans-Mountain.

[ChrisSA_wxatUIW]

Originally Posted by atrabilius

I think there's been discussion about a new Interstate highway, Interstate 14, which would run from Augusta, Georgia to Natchez, Mississippi, then through Louisiana into Texas through Jasper, Huntsville and College Station to Austin. I have also heard talk of extending this proposed Interstate even further, to El Paso. I guess the route would go (more or less) from Austin through Brady, San Angelo, Big Spring, Lamesa and Seminole into New Mexico, going through Hobbs and Carlsbad, crossing back into Texas near Guadalupe Mountains National Park, then going along US 62-180 through northern Hudspeth County and crossing into El Paso County near Hueco Tanks State Park.

I don't know if we would want to turn any part of Montana Avenue into a freeway, though; I guess maybe I-14 could be routed southward from east of Montana Vista to the Fabens port of entry.

I don't know when or if this would happen, given the current political climate.

I know I'm not from El Paso or anything, but I've been there quite a few times and I've done my research- Montana Avenue was actually planned as a freeway, and then it got cancelled... but that's why you have a wide median in that road (there's supposed to be freeway mainlanes in the middle)

go to texasfreeways.com or aaroads.com click on El Paso blah blah you'll find it