CTIS | April 9, 2025
UTEP Students Shine at 2025 Asphalt Road-eo, Irish Miners Take 3rd Place
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A huge congratulations to our UTEP undergraduate civil engineering students who are part of and represent the Center for Transportation Infrastructure Systems (CTIS) for their outstanding performance at the 2025 Asphalt Road-eo! This annual engineering competition, hosted by the Texas Asphalt Pavement Association (TxAPA) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), brings together top university teams from across the region to test their knowledge in asphalt pavement design and performance.
Two CTIS teams represented UTEP at this year’s event: Irish Miners (Daren Perez, Flavio Chavarria, Fernando Castro, and Pedro Chavez Jr.) and The Pothole (Paul Alvidrez, Cesar Arreola, Sergio Valles, Odalys Balanzar, and Elyan Flores). Students were challenged to design and produce 2x2 asphalt pavement slabs using standardized materials provided by TXAPA member firms. These slabs were then tested for rutting, cracking, and skid resistance—important qualities in what’s called a Balanced Mix Design (BMD). Teams also had to present and defend their design decisions in front of a panel of judges, giving them a great chance to apply classroom learning in a real-world setting.
We’re proud to share that Irish Miners earned 3rd place overall in the competition! Their innovative approach and strong presentation made a big impression. The Pothole team also showed excellent teamwork and dedication, and we applaud their hard work.
The students’ travel and participation were made possible through support from the Transportation Leadership Council. The event kicked off with opening remarks by UTEP alumna and former CTIS research assistant Angelica Torres. Now a Project Manager at Texas Materials, Angelica was part of the first-ever Road-eo back in 2018 and brought home first place for UTEP. Her message about hard work, collaboration, and passion for the field was a meaningful start to the day.
The Asphalt Road-eo isn’t just about building a pavement slab—it’s about problem-solving, teamwork, and learning how to meet the needs of real roadway projects. Students get to work with actual materials used in the industry and receive feedback from professionals at TxDOT and beyond. It’s an intense but rewarding experience that helps prepare them for careers in civil and transportation engineering.
Once again, congratulations to our student teams for proudly representing UTEP. We’re excited to see where your talents and dedication will take you next!