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by Staff
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EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — As the Labor Day holiday approaches, many are gearing up for road trips.
Lauren Macias-Cervantes from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) shared safety travel reminders and updates on a new highway project in Northeast El Paso in this KFOX14 Community Conversations.
Texas, which has the most roadways in the country, also experiences the most traffic crashes caused by driver fatigue.
TxDOT offers 12 travel information centers across the state, including one in Anthony, Texas, providing a safe place to rest and access to professional travel counselors. Additionally, there are 76 strategically placed rest areas with essential safety features to help drivers combat fatigue. Locations can be found at txdot.gov.
For those wondering about the best travel times, Macias-Cervantes advised, "The earlier, the better!"
According to INRIX, a transportation data provider, the best times to drive over Labor Day weekend are before lunchtime on Thursday and Friday. For Saturday travelers, early morning is recommended to avoid worsening traffic congestion as the day progresses.
In Northeast El Paso, the second phase of the Borderland Expressway, also known as State Spur 320, is underway.
This phase extends from Dyer Street to MLK Boulevard near the Texas/New Mexico state line, connecting with New Mexico's "Anthony Gap."
The nearly 7-mile-long section includes new freeway mainlanes and overpass bridges at Stan Roberts, McCombs, and US 54. Construction began in July and is expected to take nearly five years.
Drivers should anticipate shoulder and alternate lane closures as construction progresses.
This $112.5 million project is the second of three phases aimed at providing an alternate route to I-10 around Northeast El Paso, enhancing regional system linkage and capacity.
Phase III, which will connect from Railroad to Loop 375, is fully funded but still under design.
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