The city of Socorro, Texas has revealed details for the construction of a new four-lane arterial route heading north to Interstate 10.
More than four years ago city officials said they wanted to have the divided highway route built along the already-busy two-lane Bauman Road, which would require the demolition of nearly 30 homes.
The project, with an estimated $50 million price tag, has been regarded as essential, primarily owing to the growth of Socorro itself, with more than 38,000 residents, up from 23,000 in the 1990s.
A significant proportion of that population, it has been noted, regularly travels to and from El Paso, undergirding the need for an I-10 connection.
But the trajectory of the new route has caused endless consternation among residents, especially in lower-income neighborhoods and among those whose homes would be leveled.
Partly as a result of neighborhood meetings and general critical attention, Socorro has now announced plans for an alternative route that would be generally built to the south of Bauman and require the demolition of a dozen homes.
The alternative route proposal must still be subject to environmental review, engineering design work, and additional public hearings before it can be made reality. If all goes smoothly, work on the project could begin in 2028.
May 27, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
