EL PASO, Texas — Traffic returned to normal in West El Paso early Tuesday after authorities secured an area near Cement Lake where old dynamite was discovered inside a storage shed on Monday afternoon.
Police said the affected roads reopened around 1 a.m. on October 13, following approximately 12 hours of closures while bomb technicians investigated the explosive material. Officials also confirmed that the site had been rendered safe.
The incident began shortly before 12:45 p.m. Monday, when police received a report of a suspicious item on El Paso Water property near Cement Lake. Responding officers located what they later identified as very old dynamite inside an old shed.
The discovery prompted a precautionary response from multiple agencies, including the El Paso Police Department’s Bomb Squad, the El Paso Fire Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Border Patrol and El Paso Water personnel.
Authorities closed portions of Loop 375 in both directions between Executive Center Boulevard and Sunland Park Drive. Doniphan Drive was also shut down as emergency crews worked to assess the situation and secure the surrounding area.
The closures remained in place for much of Monday as officials evaluated the potential risks associated with the aging explosive material. Police did not immediately disclose how much dynamite had been discovered or how long it may have been stored at the location.
As a precaution, El Paso Water evacuated its John T. Hickerson Wastewater Treatment Plant and secured the property with assistance from law enforcement. An engineering team also examined nearby infrastructure to identify any facilities that might require additional attention.
The discovery raised questions about the history of the storage site and how the explosive material came to be there. However, officials had not announced its origin or provided further details about the ongoing investigation.
Old dynamite can present safety concerns because explosive materials may deteriorate over time, making it difficult to determine their condition through appearance alone. Authorities typically rely on trained explosive technicians to evaluate such discoveries and determine the appropriate safety measures.
Police indicated that the investigation was still in its early stages following the discovery. No additional details about possible suspects, the circumstances surrounding the storage of the material or any injuries were immediately available.
By early Tuesday morning, the immediate threat had been addressed, the site had been declared safe and the affected roads were open again, bringing an end to the lengthy disruption for drivers in the area.
