El Paso’s Most Stressful Off – Ramp?
I saw an article recently that named the most stressful off - ramp in Texas. Surprisingly, it's not in El Paso. Not surprisingly, it's in Texas' biggest and most traffic heavy city.
Houston is home to the off - ramp that stresses drivers the most. I've driven in Houston and, pretty much ANY driving situation there is the most stressful in Texas. As wild, crazy and PTSD inducing as our intersections and off - ramps can be, we got nothin' on H town.
Not that we couldn't send a Houston driver looking for some chamomile ... or, straight to Sunland Park. We do crazy here too.
The Most Stressful Off - Ramp In El Paso
I feel pretty safe in saying ... and I'm pretty sure most El Pasoans would agree with me ... that the east side has the worst off - ramps. When it comes to driving, they have a lot of the worst.
It's not the east - siders themselves, it's the pretty F'd up design by city planners. To put it simply, you don't plan roadways, intersections, neighborhood plots, etc for a zillion people when you know 10 zillion are coming. SMDH.
READ MORE: Worst El Paso Driver Habits
Anyway ... My number one stresser when I go east isn't the off ramp itself, it's getting on it. Exiting I-10 east to the ramp that puts you on 375 is a test of skill, timing and luck. Unless you want to just get in line back around, oh say, Lomaland and spend your entire evening trying to get to the ramp.
Once you're on the off - ramp, you have people trying to cut in, around, wherever they can to get the best spot. At one point, this craziness is all happening on one of the highest flyovers in Texas.
Stressful El Paso Off - Ramps
Another one I really hate dealing with is the 375/Pebble Hills off - ramp. During peak hours, as soon as you get off, you're already at the end of the line of cars that want to turn right on Pebble Hills. You almost have to slam on your brakes and duck in.
Ditto for the lane next to the right turn lane. It's backed up almost as far by people who want the right lane but couldn't get in it because the line forms at or ahead of the exit.
Northeast El Paso Stressful Off - Ramps
The US-54/Sean Haggerty exit sucks too. When traffic is really heavy, that line forms a couple of miles before the exit because at the base of the exit, is an intersection with what may be the shortest light cycles in town. Speaking of lights, red means stop folks.
You have to almost immediately move over too because the exit lane very quickly turns into a left turn only lane. SMDH - again. That can, in turn, back that next lane up to where it is also even with the off - ramp and you're just hosed at that point.
At least with that one, you can get off an exit sooner, turn right on Kenworthy and have a beer at 3 Pints while you the rush out.
West Side Off - Ramp Stresser
I-10 east @ Schuster. Another one with a light right at the bottom that seems to have a mind of its own with regard to cycling. Heavy traffic backs up on to I-10, effectively shutting down the far right lane. Jeez.
Those are my top 4, what are yours?