Texas State Highway Loop 375

(Redirected from César Chávez Toll Lanes)

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.

State Highway Loop 375 marker
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

Route description

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Woodrow Bean Transmountain Drive

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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

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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

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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

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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

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The newest segment of Loop 375, the Border West Expressway, passes from downtown through a narrow gap between UTEP and the Mexican border. Between Interstate 10 and US Route 85 (the CanAm Highway), the route is elevated above railroad tracks.[3] The segment serves as an alternate route to I-10 to relieve traffic congestion in and around downtown El Paso.[4]

The project, originally known simply as the Loop 375 Extension, was approved in September 2007.[5] The Border West Expressway name was adopted in 2014.[3] Construction began in 2015 with a planned completion date of late 2017, but this was pushed back to 2019.[6]

The extension was planned as a four-lane toll road built by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) with tolls collected by the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority (CRRMA).[7] However, when the extension opened for traffic on October 3, 2019, no tolls were collected.[8] CRRMA planned to start charging tolls once given approval by TxDOT,[9] but this did not occur. Eventually, on October 26, 2023, CRRMA and TxDOT agreed to remove tolls on the expressway altogether, as CRRMA determined the road would have operated at a loss if tolls were implemented. The road is set to be integrated into the State Highway system once the tolling equipment is removed.[10]

History

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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

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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.[citation needed]

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.[11]

Exit list

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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 Drive 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 Drive replaced by Northwestern Drive 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 Street 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 Drive 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 Street not signed westbound
61ACampbell StreetClosed; was westbound right-in/right-out
61BOregon StreetClosed; was westbound right-in only
62  Spur 1966 – UT El Paso
64Executive Center Boulevard
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
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

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References

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  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. ^ a b "Loop 375 Extension Now Called 'Border West Expressway'". El Paso Development News. November 13, 2014. Archived from the original on December 23, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  4. ^ "Border West Expressway". Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  5. ^ "Loop 375 Border Highway West Extension". Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  6. ^ Ochoa, Adrian (March 9, 2018). "Completion of Border West Expressway is delayed further". KVIA-TV. News-Press & Gazette Company. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  7. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions | Border West Expressway". Border West Expressway. Texas Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on February 7, 2020.
  8. ^ "El Paso's new Border West Expressway opens to motorists". KVIA-TV. News-Press & Gazette Company. October 3, 2019. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  9. ^ "Border West Expressway Loop 375 Toll Lanes". Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  10. ^ Montañez, Rosemary (October 26, 2019). "Loop 375's Border West Expressway becomes non-tolled state highway, despite being free of charge". KVIA-TV. News-Press & Gazette Company. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  11. ^ "Loop 375 – Transmountain West – Sundt". Sundt.
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