Texas State Highway Loop 375

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State Highway Loop 375

Map
Loop 375 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length49.21 mi[1] (79.20 km)
Existed1963–present
Major junctions
Beltway around El Paso, TX
CCW end I-10 / US 85 / US 180 in El Paso
Major intersections
CW end US 62 / US 85 in El Paso
Location
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountiesEl Paso
Highway system
Loop 374 Loop 376

Loop 375 is a beltway that partially encircles the city of El Paso, Texas. The beltway is mostly a freeway, except for its northern section, which includes at-grade intersections. The highway passes through various areas of El Paso, funneling traffic within and around the city. The road is known locally under different names, as Woodrow Bean Transmountain Drive in the northern section, Purple Heart Memorial Freeway in the northeastern section, Joe Battle Boulevard in the eastern section, the César Chávez Border Highway in the southern section, and the Border West Expressway on the southwest section.

Route description

Woodrow Bean Transmountain Drive

Loop 375 begins clockwise at an intersection with I-10 near Canutillo. Heading east, the highway enters and passes through the Franklin Mountains State Park and the Fort Bliss Castner Range before leaving at Northeast El Paso, where it meets US 54. The highway passes through Northeast El Paso before entering Fort Bliss.

The section through Franklin Mountains State Park includes many road cuts which expose outcrops of Precambrian rocks, which are some of the oldest in Texas.[2]

Purple Heart Memorial Freeway

After entering Fort Bliss, the highway bypasses Biggs Army Airfield to the north and east, and meets Spur 601 east of the airfield, before leaving at an intersection with US 62/US 180 in Southeast El Paso.

Joe Battle Boulevard

After leaving Fort Bliss, the highway passes through Southeast El Paso, heading south through residential neighborhoods, before curving southwest to meet I-10 at a stack interchange. Continuing southwest, the highway passes through more neighborhoods before meeting the El Paso Ysleta Port of Entry.

César Chávez Border Highway

After meeting the El Paso Ysleta Port of Entry, the highway curves northwest, following the Mexican border along the Rio Grande. Heading into downtown, the highway intersects US 54 at an interchange, passing unter the El Paso BOTA Port of Entry. The highway continues west into downtown, ending at US 62/US 85 Paisano Drive in downtown.

Border West Expressway

From downtown, the most recent part of Loop 375, the Border West Expressway, passes through the narrow gap between UTEP and the Mexican border, elevated above the railroad tracks between Interstate 10 and US Route 85 (the CanAm Highway).[3] The project is intended as an alternate route to I-10 to relieve traffic congestion in and around downtown El Paso.[4] Funding and construction of the project began in September 2007.[5] The highway is proposed to be a four lane toll road.[6] In March 2018, the original completion date estimate of late 2017 was pushed back to May 2019.[7] The new expressway opened for traffic on October 3, 2019, without tolls initially although it is intended to be a toll road.[8]

Originally described as a Loop 375 extension, the project was named as Border West Expressway in 2014.[9] On completion, signs show it as part of Loop 375.

History

Loop 375 was designated on January 26, 1962, from I-10 southeastward, eastward, southeastward, and southward to the Zaragosa International Bridge. On January 1, 1965, the section of FM 259 from I-10 to US 80 (now SH 20) became part of Loop 375. On April 1, 1968, Loop 375 was extended northwestward 12.5 miles, and the section to the Zaragosa International Bridge became a spur connection. On January 29, 1991, the section from SH 20 northeast to Loop 375 was also added, which when constructed, the old route of Loop 375 was to be deleted. On April 24, 2008, this section was deleted, but was restored as Spur 276 on July 31, 2008, but this was changed to Spur 16 on July 26, 2012, probably due to a reference to the old Loop 16.

Future

The Texas Department of Transportation announced plans to add toll lanes to the Border Highway portion of Loop 375 between Downtown El Paso and the Ysleta–Zaragoza International Bridge.

In 2012, construction commenced on an upgrade of the Transmountain Drive section of Loop 375. This expansion was controversial, as this section passes through the protected Franklin Mountains State Park.[10]

Exit list

The entire route is in El Paso County.

LocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
El Paso0.000.00
Spur 16 south (Transmountain Drive west)
I-10 / US 85 / US 180 – Las Cruces
Interchange; counterclockwise terminus of Loop 375; I-10 exit 6A; Transmountain Dr. continues west as Spur 16 south
11ANorthwestern DriveInterchange; west (counterclockwise) end of freeway; eastbound exit and westbound entrance; westbound access via exit 11B

I-10 east (US 85 / US 180) – El Paso
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; I-10 exit 6B
11BResler Drive / Plexxar DrivePlexxar Dr. replaced by Northwestern Dr. on westbound signage
12Paseo Del Norte DriveInterchange; east (clockwise) end of freeway
21 US 54 / Kenworthy StreetInterchange; west (counterclockwise) end of freeway; US 54 exit 29
22
Bus. US 54 (Dyer Street) / FM 2529 (McCombs Street)
Signed as exit 24A westbound
24Bomarc Street / Railroad DriveSigned as exit 24B westbound; Bomarc St. not signed westbound
Fort BlissCardinal direction change: Northern leg (west–east) / Eastern leg (north–south)
Not a Public Exit – Construction Vehicles OnlyAccess to Biggs Army Airfield and East Fort Bliss
30
Spur 601 west (Liberty Expressway) – Airport
32Iron Medics DriveWill provide access to the (under construction) William Beaumont Army Medical Center
El Paso35 US 62 / US 180 (Montana Avenue)
38Edgemere Boulevard
39Pebble Hills Boulevard
40 FM 659 (Zaragoza Road) / Montwood DriveSigned as exit 40B northbound
40A
FM 659 north (Zaragoza Road)
Northbound exit and southbound entrance
41Vista Del Sol Drive
42APellicano Drive / Rojas DriveSigned as exit 42 southbound; signed as Pellicano Dr. only northbound
42BBob Hope DriveNo direct southbound exit (signed at exit 42)
44 I-10Exits from frontage road signed as 44B (I-10 west) and 44C (I-10 east); I-10 exit 34
45 FM 76 (North Loop Road) / Rojas Drive
47 SH 20 (Alameda Avenue) / FM 258 (Socorro Road) / Pan American Drive
48Zaragoza RoadTo Zaragoza International Bridge
Cardinal direction change: Eastern leg (north–south) / Southern leg (west–east)
49Padres Drive
Plant RoadEastbound exit and entrance
51Yarbrough Drive
53Midway Drive
56Fonseca Drive
58

US 54 east to I-10 (US 180)
Western terminus of US 54
59 US 62 (Paisano Drive) / Coles StreetColes St. not signed westbound; last free westbound exit before tollway
61ACampbell StreetClosed; was westbound right-in/right-out
61BOregon StreetClosed; was westbound right-in only; last free westbound exit before tollway
62 Spur 1966 – UT El Paso
64Executive Center Boulevard
Toll Gantry; electronic toll collection (TxTag or Pay by Mail)
65ADoniphan RoadWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
65B

Sunland Park Drive to I-10 east (US 180 east)
Westbound exit only
66
US 85 east (Paisano Drive)
East end of US 85 overlap; eastbound exit and westbound entrance; last free eastbound exit before tollway
Racetrack DriveEastbound exit and westbound entrance
13Sunland Park DriveExit numbers follow I-10 mileage; no westbound exit
12Resler DriveWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
11 SH 20 (Mesa Street)Westbound exit and eastbound entrance

I-10 west (US 85 north / US 180 west)
Clockwise terminus; west end of US 85 overlap; I-10 exit 13
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi


==See also==* List of state highway loops in Texas


References

  1. ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway Loop No. 375". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation.
  2. ^ "Geological Excursions to a Transmountain Precambrian Adventure". utep.edu.
  3. ^ "Loop 375 Extension Now Called 'Border West Expressway'". El Paso Development News. November 13, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  4. ^ "Border West Expressway". Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  5. ^ "Loop 375 Border Highway West Extension". www.txdot.gov. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  6. ^ "Project Overview | Border West Expressway". Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  7. ^ Ochoa, Adrian (March 9, 2018). "Completion of Border West Expressway is delayed further". KVIA TV. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  8. ^ "El Paso's new Border West Expressway opens to motorists". KVIA. October 3, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  9. ^ "Loop 375 Extension Now Called 'Border West Expressway'". El Paso Development News. November 13, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  10. ^ "Loop 375 – Transmountain West – Sundt". Sundt.

External links