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Expansion of Rojas Drive in East El Paso completed after delays [1]

['Cindy Ramirez', 'More Cindy Ramirez', 'El Paso Matters', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width']

Date: 2024-12-20

The $13.7 million reconstruction and widening of 5.4 miles of Rojas Drive in far East El Paso has been completed after the work had to be rebid when the original contractor terminated its contract with the city.

The work expanded Rojas Drive from Joe Battle Boulevard east to the city limits at Bill Burnett Drive from four lanes to a six-lane divided roadway aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving traffic flow.

The project, completed last week, included a shared-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians, landscaping and an irrigation system, and water and stormwater system improvements.

About $9.2 million of the work was funded by the Federal Highway Administration, through the state of Texas, while the city paid over $3 million for the design, testing, inspections and project management using previously issued certificates of obligation – debt that doesn’t require voter approval, city officials told El Paso Matters. El Paso Water paid about $1.5 million to replace infrastructure during the project.

Rojas Drive extends eastward into county jurisdiction, intersecting with Eastlake Drive to Horizon Boulevard. The county, through the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority which manages transportation projects for various local governments, had previously expanded that section of the road.

The roadway is one of several in that fast-growing area under several long-term traffic plans meant to connect the city, county, Horizon City and the city of Socorro, many of which over the years have run into multiple delays.

The city has completed the expansion of its section of Rojas Drive from Loop 375 to Bill Burnett from four to six lanes. (Cindy Ramirez / El Paso Matters) Traffic at the corner of Rojas Drive and Eastlake Drive between the jurisdiction of the county and Horizon City. (Cindy Ramirez / El Paso Matters)

After years of planning, the Rojas project was expected to go out to bid in September 2020. However, the work was delayed during the COVID pandemic and went out to bid in November 2021.

A month later, the contract was awarded to J.A.R. Construction Inc., the same company that was awarded the long-stalled expansion of Pellicano Drive by the CRRMA for the county of El Paso and remains in litigation since filing for bankruptcy in 2023.

Related Eastside’s long-stalled Pellicano Drive expansion still hung up in courts A hearing on Wednesday did not result in an immediate ruling that may determine whether construction of the roadway expansion can resume.

Several bankruptcy court procedures in that case are ongoing and scheduled throughout the remainder of December before a trial in January that could determine whether the Pellicano work can continue, who’s responsible to complete it and who pays for it, CRRMA Executive Director Raymond Telles said.

Before filing for bankruptcy, J.A.R. in May 2022 asked the city to terminate its contract for the Rojas expansion. The city terminated the agreement “without cause and for convenience,” which allowed it to rebid the project and move forward with the reconstruction.

SEE ALSO: Montwood, Sean Haggerty road extensions move forward

The city awarded International Eagle Enterprise Inc. the work in October 2022. The reconstruction began in early 2023 and was recently completed.

The CRRMA in November approved several contracts for more improvements to the county’s stretch of Rojas, including adding traffic signals, signage, lighting, pavement markings and more. The work is expected to begin in January and take six months to complete.

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[1] Url: https://elpasomatters.org/2024/12/20/rojas-drive-expansion-east-el-paso-jar-contractors-pellicano/

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