Texas officials are swiftly debunking a fake memo making the rounds on social media that falsely claims major highways in El Paso will be shut down for an extended period.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) issued an urgent clarification after discovering that a fraudulent document announcing 10-day road closures throughout the El Paso area had begun circulating online and through various media outlets. “This is a fake memo, and DPS is NOT closing the major highways – or any roads – in or out of the area over the next 10 days,” the agency emphasized in their statement.
The fabricated document had caused considerable confusion among local residents planning travel in the coming days. While El Paso does regularly experience construction work that can affect traffic patterns, nothing of the magnitude suggested in the fake memo is planned.
Unclear Origins
Who created the fraudulent memo? That remains a mystery. Authorities haven’t yet determined the source of the false information or the motivation behind its creation and distribution.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintains an updated list of actual road projects and closures on their website, where no such major shutdown is listed. The department regularly communicates planned work through official channels, not through the type of memo that was circulated.
This isn’t the first time false information about infrastructure has spread in the region. Road closure misinformation can be particularly disruptive, affecting everything from daily commutes to emergency services planning.
“When we have actual closures, we make sure to give people plenty of advance notice through official channels,” a TxDOT representative explained. “We understand how critical these roadways are to daily life in El Paso.”
Transportation officials are urging residents to verify road closure information through official government websites and legitimate news sources before adjusting travel plans. The incident serves as yet another reminder of how quickly misinformation can spread—and the real-world confusion it leaves in its wake.
