City of El Paso Issues Temporary Night Street Closures for Five Points Area

As part of the Five Points Quiet Zone project, the City of El Paso’s Capital Improvement Department has scheduled the temporary nightly closure of Piedras Street between Grant Avenue and Montana Street beginning, Monday, January 25th, 2016.

This new closure in the 5 Points area will take place along with the existing closure on Pershing Drive between Birch Street and Raynor Street and are scheduled from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. and will last approximately one month. These closures are necessary in order to allow work crews to replace aging water lines in the area. Both closures will have proper traffic control measures in place, which will guide motorists through the construction area. The closures and detours are subject to change in order to accommodate unforeseen conditions and events.

This work, part of a joint project with the Union Pacific Railroad and the City of El Paso, will modify six railroad crossings to allow trains to pass more quietly through this El Paso neighborhood once the ‘Quiet Zone’ is established. Work continues for the railroad crossings as well, as the following Union Pacific railroad crossings will be closed permanently as part of the project:

• Maple Street - Construction complete
• Birch Street - Construction on-going
• Cedar Street - Construction complete
• Elm Street - Construction on-going

The following Union Pacific railroad crossings will remain open and are undergoing upgrades to include new medians and crossing arms:

• Piedras Street - Work scheduled
• Rosewood Street - Construction Complete

The project also includes having the El Paso Water Utilities replace an aging waterline along Pershing Drive between Magnolia and Birch. The total length of the waterline replacement for Pershing is between Magnolia and Raynor, and it is occurring in phases in order to minimize the inconvenience to residents and traffic.

The project is scheduled for completion in July of 2016, but trains will continue to use their whistles at the crossings until the Federal Railroad Administration approves the establishment of the ‘Quiet Zone’, which is expected to occur in September of 2016. Federal Law requires the train conductors to continue using their whistles as a precaution for all vehicles and pedestrians who are on or near the rail road crossings until the ‘Quiet Zone’ has been officially established.