Ysleta ISD seeks solution for congestion in East El Paso

Congestion around Eastwood High School, caused by ongoing construction on Montwood Drive, might be allevaited through a possible agreement with Mount Hope Lutheran Church, school officials said.

Susanna Russell, area II associate superintendent for the Ysleta Independent School District, said the district is working with the church. If an agreement is reached, parents could use the church's parking lot, which is across the street from the high school, as a student drop off zone until the construction of Montwood Drive is complete.

"The district is currently working on a plan that may allow parents to utilize the Mount Hope Lutheran Church as an official drop-off area," Russell said.

Rev. Bill Bruggeman, of Mount Hope Lutheran Church, said parents can drop off their students at the church parking lot for now.

"We are happy to help out and we are just trying to be good neighbors," Bruggeman said. "They have a problem with their parking because of the ongoing construction and we are trying to work something out that is mutually beneficial."

Russell added that in an effort to decrease traffic in the area, summer school for fifth- and eighth-grade will not be held at Eastwood High School, and instead will be relocated to Eastwood Middle School. Athletic events have also been rescheduled to assure the safety of students, while also ensuring enough parking is available, Russell said.

Construction along Montwood Drive is part of a $11 million drainage-improvement project that reduced the road to one lane in each direction. Since the project began in Jan. 2013, the campus has had to relocate crosswalks and drop-off zones and add security.

The project is scheduled for completion in February 2015, said Martin Bartlett spokesman for the City's Engineering and Construction Management Department. Once the project is completed, Montwood Drive will have new sidewalks, curbs, gutters, street lights and landscaping.

While traffic has been manageable, Russell said the recent construction of deep trenches on Montwood has blocked off access to neighborhood streets.

This has increased traffic at the front entrance of the school, which faces McRae Boulevard, said Sara Iturriaga, a parent.

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Ysleta ISD seeks solution for congestion in East El Paso