Road Warrior: Los Lunas 'aiming' to go out to bid soon on interchange project

Happy Monday.With Balloon Fiesta underway, the New Mexico Department of Transportation is reminding motorists of the improvements project taking place between Montgomery and Comanche on Interstate 25.

According to NMDOT:

• All three travel lanes in both directions will be open.
• Travel lanes will be shifted toward the median.
• Comanche Road will be reduced to one lane in each direction at the I-25 interchange.

Additionally, the bike lane is closed on Comanche Road at the I-25 interchange.

NMDOT District 3 spokesperson Kim Gallegos said people should allow for extra travel time.

For more information or to sign up for text alerts, visit i25improved.com. The project team can also be reached via a 24/7 hotline at 505-785-7623 or by email: info@I25improved.com.

The project is slated to be finished in 2027.

‘AN EMERGENCY PRIORITY:’ Jerry Huckabee said he wanted to know the status of the Los Lunas I-25 Second Interchange and East-West Corridor Project.

“(This) should be an emergency priority for the people of Valencia County,” he said.

Los Lunas Deputy Administrator Erin Callahan told the Journal the village is close to going out to bid to build the second interchange. One of the goals is to reduce traffic congestion.

“We are aiming to go out to bid very soon with enough time to allow us to make a decision on a contractor before the end of the year,” she said.

The corridor would go from I-25 to New Mexico Highway 47 and will include a full interchange at Morris Road, a river bridge, and intersections at Sichler Road, Highway 314, Edeal Road and Highway 47, according to the village website.

The Valencia County News-Bulletin reported the cost of the project is more than $220 million. The village has only been able to secure almost $166 million in local, state and federal funds going toward the first phase, allowing for the building of two lanes.

Phase two will include adding the two other lanes when funding becomes available.

FREE PARK AND RIDE: NMDOT announced its Park and Ride service is free this month.

“Going fare-free for the month of October will help reduce traffic and create safer conditions for pedestrians,” NMDOT Cabinet Secretary Ricky Serna said in a statement. “It also gives commuters a chance to let someone else do the driving.”

NMDOT spokesperson Kristine Bustos-Mihelcic said the park and ride operates every day except for state holidays.

The bus service is available in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Pojoaque, Española and Las Vegas in northern New Mexico on its Purple, Red, Blue, Green, Orange, and Santa Fe shuttle routes. To the south, the Gold and Silver routes connect White Sands Missile Range, Las Cruces, Anthony and El Paso.

The event is part of National Pedestrian Safety Month, which raises awareness for pedestrian safety advocates for safer streets.

New Mexico is ranked first nationally in pedestrian fatalities, according to NMDOT.

BRIDGE REPLACEMENT: NMDOT is seeking public comment on a bridge replacement project near the Ghost Ranch in Rio Arriba County.

According to NMDOT, the purpose of the project is to replace the U.S. 84 bridge over Canjilon Creek “to address structurally inadequacies and correct current substandard bridge deck thickness and width.”

The bridge will have 12-foot driving lanes with a 6-foot shoulder on each side. A temporary bridge will be built to serve traffic during construction and avoid the need for detours.

People have until Oct. 23 to make any comments. For more information, visit https://www.dot.nm.gov/event/us84-canjilon-bridge-event.