Corrales Sewer Line Work; Rest Stops Fail To Impress Tourists

AVOID COORS-CORRALES/ALAMEDA UNTIL OCTOBER: That’s the recommendation, as crews start to bore under Alameda to connect a sewer line from the village to the city/county system.

Phil Gallegos, who handles information for the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s District 3 office, says drivers will start seeing activity and orange barrels today. But the effect on commuters will pick up as crews finish the work from the Flying Star just north of the intersection with Alameda up to the northeast corner and have to get under the roadway. At that point, crews will reduce northbound Coors to one lane from Pep Boys/Rudy’s through the intersection.

More details on the project will be in Thursday’s column.

MORE ON I-25′S FIRST PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE: After reading last week’s column on the pedestrian/bike bridge going up on Interstate 25 between San Mateo and Jefferson not being the first for that interstate in the metro area, Ruben G. emailed some details.

“Here is some history on the I-25 pedestrian bridge at Pacific SE: Back when I-25 was being constructed, it came close to Lincoln Junior High School on Locust SE. Since the majority of the students who attended that school lived west of the new interstate, the dilemma came about on how these students were going to get to school. The result was the pedestrian bridge over I-25 known back then as the ‘catwalk’ over I-25. Once the school was closed, the bridge became useless and (was) eventually removed.”

AND STATE REST STOPS: Corliss Fenimore writes “I have to add my long-time frustrations to the comments made by Jim in (the) July 16 Road Warrior column regarding New Mexico rest areas.

“New Mexico claims to want to draw tourists to our state. We spend untold taxpayer dollars on beautifying center medians, on bike trails cyclists choose not to use, on junkets by politicians to other states to promote the beautiful attributes of our state. We even contracted with a company out of Texas to promote our state. Yet the majority of our rest areas are just one step above outhouses. They’re antiquated, provide no hand soap and they smell. What a way to impress travelers.

“We travel extensively by automobile, and most of the states we’ve covered have beautiful permanent structures that serve as rest areas as well as welcome centers. Somehow, New Mexico’s approach to luring tourists to our state just does not compute.”

And Peter Ives called to say the New Mexico Department of Transportation map has some nice historical pictures for the centennial “but is lacking information as far as tourist facilities.”

The NMDOT map “lists ‘rest areas’ but gives no information beyond” a pink picnic table symbol. By comparison, he says, the AAA map differentiates rest stops that are welcome centers vs. have full facilities vs. have no facilities.

Peter says that lack of helpful/necessary information on the state’s part is “shocking when trying to promote tourism.”

BLINDED BY THE FOG LIGHT: Rick Louder says in an email “I drive my wife to work most days, actually nights, and it seems these days more and more people are turning on the auxiliary lights (that) are mounted in bumpers while other traffic is near.”

And he says that’s creating a challenge for oncoming traffic.

“Those fog lights, or driving lights, whatever one wants to call them, are very bright,” Rick says, “and if you drive at night it’s becoming a real problem. They are supposed to be used in rural areas and highways when no one is approaching. Perhaps you could mention something please?”

According to state statute – 66-3-827 Spot lamps and auxiliary lamps – “B. Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed two fog lamps mounted on the front at a height not less than 12 inches nor more than 30 inches above the level surface upon which the vehicle stands and so aimed, when the vehicle is not loaded, that none of the high-intensity portion of the light to the left of the center of the vehicle shall, at a distance of 25 feet ahead, project higher than a level of four inches below the level of the center of the lamp from which it comes. Lighted fog lamps meeting the above requirements may be used with lower headlamp beams. …”

A ONE-LINE WARNING TO MINOR PASSENGERS: Finally, a message from allanbutler62 sounds full of the frustration of a parent on a long car ride in search of a clean rest stop while squinting into the glare of oncoming traffic. It’s directed at “all you kids riding along with your mom or dad” and warns “shut your mouth do not distract them for you might wind up in the ER!”

Assistant editorial page editor D’Val Westphal tackles commuter issues for the Metro area on Mondays and West Siders and Rio Ranchoans on Thursdays. Reach her at 823-3858; road@abqjournal.com; P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, N.M. 87103; or go to ABQjournal.com/traffic to read previous columns and join in the conversation.
— This article appeared on page D1 of the Albuquerque Journal