Motorists may want to avoid Oregon Street near The University of Texas at El Paso the week of Dec. 12, 2016, as lanes will be closed for road repaving, utility work and traffic signal adjustments as part of the El Paso Streetcar Project.
Access along Oregon will be reduced to one lane in each direction from Glory Road to Schuster Avenue. Crews will close off the southbound lane at 11 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, and reopen it at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14. Drivers can use one lane in each direction Thursday and Friday, Dec. 15 and 16.
Intersections will be open for the most part, but there will be intermittent closures of up to 15 minutes at a time. The work should be completed by 5 p.m. Friday. All lanes are scheduled to be open for regular traffic by Saturday, Dec. 17.
Bicyclists will have to follow the same traffic rules in the construction zone. Sidewalks will be open for pedestrians. Police officers will be on site to help with traffic control from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week.
University officials suggest motorists find alternate routes to get to campus, and ask those who do use or cross Oregon to exercise caution.
The planned streetcar line will connect UTEP with downtown El Paso, the international bridges and the Cincinnati entertainment district.
Streetcar work along Oregon started in February 2016 with upgrades to underground utilities and storm drainage, and the pouring of concrete foundations to hold the posts that will carry the streetcars’ overhead electrical line.
The Camino Real Regional Mobility Administration is overseeing construction of the project that is funded by the Texas Department of Transportation and based on a City of El Paso design.