Signs announcing an October 3rd closing date have gone up on the doors of Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q on South Desert Boulevard in West El Paso, with some gas pumps already wrapped in bags on Monday, September 28. The barbecue joint and gas station at 6401 South Desert Boulevard will shut its doors this weekend, becoming the latest business swallowed by the ongoing Artcraft Road expansion.
The closure was reported by KTSM 9 News, which linked the closure to road-widening work tied to the Texas Department of Transportation's State Highway 178 project. That effort carries a total budget of $243.7 million to widen and upgrade a three-mile corridor connecting the New Mexico state line to Interstate 10, according to a project notice from the Texas Department of Transportation. Construction was scheduled to begin in April 2025 with general contractor Sundt Construction, and full completion is targeted for 2030 across five separate construction phases, per the agency's own project documentation.
Businesses along Artcraft Road and South Desert Boulevard have already been demolished. A Carl's Jr. and a Speedway gas station were both demolished in January, according to a report from KTSM 9 News. Those teardowns set the stage for what's now happening at the Rudy's site, marking a broader shift along South Desert Boulevard from commercial storefronts to the elevated highway infrastructure TxDOT has planned for the interchange.
Why the Interchange Is Getting an Overhaul
The project's design calls for direct connectors at the I-10 interchange, per TxDOT's project plans. The project story map describes four elevated lanes at grade-separated interchanges at Upper Valley Road and Westside Drive, where through-traffic will avoid traffic signals. That kind of structural change didn't come out of nowhere: rapid commercial and residential development near the interchange, including the nearby West Towne Marketplace, drove a 34% surge in corridor traffic volume between 2017 and 2020, according to data compiled in a project story map hosted on ArcGIS StoryMaps.
State Highway 178 is part of the corridor connecting I-10 with the New Mexico state line.
More Than Just a Barbecue Stop
The West El Paso location was more than a place to grab brisket. Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q also has locations elsewhere in El Paso.
The South Desert Boulevard site also hosted an eight-port Tesla Supercharger station, giving interstate EV drivers a charging stop at the site. And the location wasn't just a retail stop — it served as a community gathering spot, including hosting the official “UTEP Football with Dana Dimel” live radio broadcast during the 2023 college football season, according to UTEP Athletics.
What's Left for West El Paso Diners
Rudy's still operates two other locations in El Paso, at 7970 Gateway East Boulevard and 3550 Joe Battle Boulevard, so the brand isn't leaving the city entirely. But West El Paso residents will lose the South Desert Boulevard outpost and gas station once the doors close this weekend; the future of EV charging at the site remains unclear.
The road project itself is expected to extend Artcraft Road from Interstate 10 to the New Mexico state line, reshaping the corridor for years to come. Hoodline has previously covered the corridor's traffic troubles, including a September crash near Montoya and Redd that left a rider critically injured, underscoring the safety concerns that have accompanied heavy construction traffic in the area. It's unclear whether TxDOT acquired the Rudy's property through eminent domain or a negotiated sale, and whether the Tesla Supercharger equipment will be relocated elsewhere along West I-10 remains an open question for the community.
