Letter to the Editor

In the 1960s, the construction of I-10 split our city in two. What was once a cohesive urban core became divided by a concrete barrier that severed not just streets but the social and economic fabric of El Paso.

For decades, we’ve lived with the psychological and physical effects of that divide. Walking across the I-10 overpasses is unpleasant and unsafe, a constant reminder that our city’s design has favored cars over community. The result is a disjointed ecosystem that limits connection, vibrancy, and shared experience.

The proposed Deck Plaza offers a unique and overdue solution: to stitch back together what the freeway tore apart. By capping I-10 with a park that reconnects neighborhoods and creates a green civic common, we can heal both the geography and the spirit of our city.

Downtown El Paso lacks sufficient green space. San Jacinto Plaza, lovely as it is, is only one square block. A centrally located deck plaza would not only expand our public realm but also signal a bold investment in quality of life, economic vitality, and civic pride.

It’s time to close the rift and reweave the fabric of our community — stronger, greener, and more united than before.

- Robert Palacios, West El Paso

This letter originally appeared in El Paso Times on November 6, 2025.

Read the original letter here.