Even as funding for the building of a highway deck plaza in El Paso remains uncertain, a new report has been released suggesting that the project, if built, could ultimately have a positive $1 billion economic impact.
Published by a group called the Downtown Deck Plaza Foundation, the document, simply called the Economic Impact Study, says the deck plaza, which will span Interstate 11 in a section of downtown El Paso, will stimulate new housing, enhance retail opportunities, create jobs, and increase area property values.
Just the actual construction work required by the project will be good for $310 million, estimates the report. Because of the uniqueness of the deck plaza, it is thought that it will attract up to 1.5 million visitors yearly just as a simple tourist attraction.
The report also touts the potential environmental and health benefits of the project, contending that the introduction of green space in an otherwise cement-heavy environment could reduce area temperatures by around 8 degrees.
Writing for the publication El Paso Matters, Joe Gudenrath, executive director of the El Paso Downtown Management District, argues that “perhaps the most transformative aspect of the project is its potential to reconnect communities that were divided when I-10 was constructed.”
“For decades,” Gudenrath continues, “the freeway has served as both a physical and psychological barrier between neighborhoods. By creating a park that spans the highway, the Deck Plaza aims to bridge those divides.”
While final approval of the project has not yet been secured, the effort earlier this summer did receive $1 million in support from the El Paso County Commissioners Court to help pay for its design.
September 16, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Rendering courtesy of City of El Paso
