After years of orange barrels and stop-and-go frustration, El Paso’s Montana interchange is starting to look like an actual interchange. New walls, barriers and overhead signs are in place at Montana Avenue and Joe Battle Boulevard, while crews finish the concrete, drainage and paving needed to turn the giant work zone into a three-level roadway. The traffic relief is visible—but the project is not done yet.
KVIA reported Tuesday that TxDOT El Paso says the project is entering its final stage, with the three-level section gradually taking shape. Once complete, the interchange will include Loop 375, the frontage roads and Montana’s main lanes, creating a more separated layout for traffic moving through the busy east El Paso corridor.
Three Levels Are Taking Shape
The latest work includes concrete barriers near Joe Battle and Loop 375, along with quality inspections to check the barrier shape and remove excess concrete. Much of that finishing work is being done by hand, while crews have also excavated around drilled shafts roughly 30 feet below ground so wall panels can be installed.
A recent closure notice from the Texas Department of Transportation says the Montana Avenue frontage roads remain restricted and the through lanes at the Montana-Joe Battle intersection are closed as crews build the underpass. Those continuous restrictions are listed through December, meaning the interchange’s increasingly finished appearance will not immediately translate into a wide-open drive.
Signs And Landscaping Are Nearly In Place
Overhead signs for the new roads have already been installed, and wall panels featuring native landscaping are expected to be painted soon, according to KVIA. Drainage work is also continuing, with large drainage boxes designed to protect underground utilities.
No public opening date was included in the latest update. For now, El Paso drivers are getting the most recognizable sign of progress: a massive construction zone that is finally beginning to resemble the road system it promised to become.
