$62M Unser & Paseo improvements to start near year's end

In the coming months, the city of Albuquerque will begin the biggest road project in its history that will include expanding parts of Paseo del Norte and Unser NW and adding bicycle lanes. Some say, however, it will cause too much traffic and safety concerns.

“Every West Sider knows that one of the biggest bottlenecks in a commute is at Unser and Paseo del Norte,” Department of Municipal Development spokesperson Dan Mayfield said.

The $62 million project will consist of widening roads to four lanes, installing new medians and lighting, adding 10-foot multi-use trails and 6-foot bicycle lanes with buffers, and improving the intersection and storm systems, according to the city.

“This is the largest road project the city has ever undertaken, and that’s because we have made improving infrastructure on the West Side a priority,” Mayor Tim Keller said in a news release. “West Side commuters have been asking for relief, and this major expansion will help everyone get to work with less hassle.”

Work is expected to take three years, Mayfield said. The cost of the project was originally $45 million, but it increased about 38% to $62 million due to rising costs of materials, he said.

In the first phase, work will start on Unser and go from Paradise to about a quarter-mile past Paseo del Norte, which will be widened from Calle Nortena west to about a quarter-mile past Unser, Mayfield said.

Brendan Snyder, who lives near Paradise and Unser NW, said the project will make traffic worse.

“There’s people constantly honking at each other, getting in fights because it narrows ... from two lanes to one lane,” he said. “I have kids that don’t even play in the front yard because ... I don’t want them getting hit by a car. So, widening this up, adding more cars is just going to make it that much more dangerous for my kids.”

Pre-construction work — such as soil testing and ordering materials — will begin next month, Mayfield said.

During construction, there will be one lane of traffic open in each direction. Also, because it is a rocky area, blasting may cause brief stoppages and traffic delays, according to the project website.

When the blasting will happen is still to be determined, Mayfield said.

Albuquerque Public Schools Executive Director of Transportation Royce Binns said in an email the school district is working to minimize the project’s impact on its transportation routes.

“Our team has been reviewing traffic flow data and collaborating with key departments at the city of Albuquerque to analyze potential delays and identify alternative routes where necessary,” Binns said.

The next phase of the project would include widening Paseo del Norte west to Rainbow and Unser south to Rainbow, Mayfield said, “If we can get (it) funded.”

“Construction is always awful to drive through,” said Nancy Oliver, who resides by Unser and Rainbow. “Right now, it’s difficult for people who are commuting, and there are a lot of people that go up that intersection to get to Rio Rancho.”

The Department of Municipal Development will host a pre-construction meeting in the fall to present traffic control plans for detours and a project timeline, Mayfield said.

For more information and updates, he said, people can visit upgradeunserpaseo.com.