Scenic Drive, the winding roadway that carries El Pasoans up along the Franklin Mountains for some of the city's best views, has been shut down in both directions after storm-related damage left the roadway unsafe. A large hole opened up somewhere along the route after heavy rain pounded the region, and officials say the closure has no end date yet.
El Paso police said the roadway is completely closed due to damage and urged drivers to avoid the area, according to KFOX14. The department made the announcement in a Facebook post, per the seed reporting from Chron, advising motorists to steer clear for their own safety. City officials confirmed the closure is in effect until further notice and said updates will be shared as they become available.
KTSM reported that a large hole damaged Scenic Drive after heavy rain, and the central El Paso roadway was closed in both directions because of the damage.
A Night of Flooding Across the Borderland
The hole didn't appear in isolation. Heavy rain moved into the Borderland Tuesday, and El Paso woke up to cloudy skies Wednesday and the aftermath of what one report described as a very wet and messy night, according to KTEM News. The same storm system flooded streets across the city and created hazardous, disrupted driving conditions well beyond Scenic Drive, per the seed reporting.
Storm-related flooding affected roadways across the city. Separately, an outside awning at the El Paso airport collapsed during the heavy rain, according to KFOX14, underscoring how widespread the storm's impact was across the city.
With more wet weather on the way, El Paso Water opened up free sandbag distribution for residential customers from Sept. 22 through Sept. 26, with up to 10 sandbags allowed per visit, per the same account from KTEM News. City forecasters have flagged saturated ground around El Paso, south-central New Mexico and the Sacramento Mountains as an ongoing concern, according to the seed reporting.
More Rain Expected Before Any Repairs Begin
The National Weather Service's El Paso office issued a flash flood watch for El Paso County running through Friday morning, according to the seed reporting. Another round of thunderstorms is expected in the region Thursday night, with scattered storms forecast for Friday afternoon east of the Rio Grande — meaning any repair work on Scenic Drive will likely have to wait out more unsettled weather first.
No timeline for reopening has been announced, and the city has not detailed the depth, width or cost of the damage. City officials have only said they will share updates on Scenic Drive as they become available, echoing the same message relayed by KFOX14.
A Century-Old Mountain Landmark
Scenic Drive is no ordinary city street. The roughly two-mile route climbs to an elevation above 4,000 feet along the edge of the Franklin Mountains, offering panoramic views of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, according to the seed reporting and Visit El Paso. The route is cut along the edge of the mountains and traverses the southern tip of the Franklins, the tourism site notes.
That history is part of why the closure has struck a nerve locally. Commenters weighing in on the news, per the seed reporting, included Lettie Ortega, who wrote that it would be sad if Scenic Drive stayed closed permanently, and Gary Sapp, who wrote that the damage is not a quick, easy fix.
Echoes of a Bigger Highway Collapse in California
El Paso's washed-out hole is far smaller in scale than a dramatic 2021 incident on California's Highway 1, but the pattern of storm-battered roadways failing outright is a familiar one for scenic routes built into unstable terrain. A major winter storm caused both lanes of Highway 1 near Big Sur to collapse into the Pacific Ocean at Rat Creek, according to The San Luis Obispo Tribune, prompting Caltrans to sign a $5 million emergency contract with Papich Construction for repairs. A 2017 mudslide had already cut off much of that region for more than a year, the outlet reported.
