EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso City Council voted on Tuesday, June 10, to formally support a grant application that could help fund part of the proposed Interstate 10 deck plaza.
The multimillion-dollar plan is a major infrastructure project that would create a public space above the downtown stretch of the freeway.
The application is for the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), a federally funded, state-administered grant.
If approved, it would help pay for some features of the deck plaza, such as trails, sidewalks, and green spaces.
“This is just one little puzzle piece,” District 8 Councilmember Chris Canales said. “But I’ve said from the beginning, I’d support this project as long as the money comes from state, federal, or philanthropic sources.”
The application is due this month, and a decision is expected in October. If awarded, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) would take the lead on construction, and the City of El Paso would assist with project management.
“If we are awarded, there are a lot of other steps that need to happen for the council to enter into an agreement to use that funding source, and that’s something that would happen in the future,” Joaquin Rodriguez, director of grant-funded programs for the city, said.
This isn’t the only funding the city is pursuing for the deck plaza. In May, the council also submitted a separate request for $4 million through the Community Project Funding program, which goes through U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, office. That funding would help cover structural elements like retaining walls and utility infrastructure.
City officials add that both funding requests are part of a larger effort to move the multimillion-dollar project forward with the goal of using outside money to make it happen.
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