Road Warrior: New traffic signals to be installed at Paseo/Tramway intersection

Happy Monday.

It has been a cool January, but at least the warmer months are approaching.

In the meantime, motorists who pass through Paseo Del Norte NE and Tramway can expect to deal with some inconveniences over the next several months.

Starting Monday, the New Mexico Department of Transportation will start a project that includes the installation of a new traffic signal at Paseo and Tramway.

The project will also include adding pedestrian access ramps and changes to turning movements. During the work, one lane will be open in both directions, said Kim Gallegos, the spokesperson for DOT’s District 3 Office.

Work is expected to be finished in late August or early September, she said.

“Drivers are advised to slow down, expect delays and consider alternative routes, if possible,” Gallegos said.

For project updates, call 505-245-3134 or go to nmroads.com.

CURB CUTS: Teresa Martinez wanted to know how Willys Knight Drive can get on the list to get curb cuts.

“Generally, if a sidewalk was built before 1990, it won’t have (Americans with Disabilities Act) ramps at the ‘quadrants,’ or street corners,” city of Albuquerque Department of Municipal Development spokesperson Dan Mayfield said. “That particular road, Willys Knight, is on our five-year watch list for a refresh, and if we do find a need to repave it, we will add curb cuts and ramps at the corners when we re-do the street.”

LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND ... IN THE CAR: On Jan. 20, Repheal Lazzie, 31, of Farmington, allegedly stole a vehicle with a 10-month-old inside. The infant was later found safe, according to a statement of probable cause filed at Farmington Magistrate Court.

This was the second auto theft in which an infant was found in a vehicle in the state this year. The other involved a 1-year-old in Rio Rancho on Jan. 18. Overall, in the U.S., eight children have been left unattended in a vehicle that was stolen, according to Kids and Car Safety, a nonprofit that seeks to eliminate vehicle-related risks to children and pets.

“Unfortunately, we see more and more cases like these every year, even though they are preventable,” Kids and Car Safety Research, Data and Analytics Manager Elijah Mercer said in a news release.

To avoid such occurrences, Kids and Car Safety released the following tips:

• Use a drive-thru or curbside pickup, so you don’t have to leave your vehicle.
• If a business doesn’t offer curbside delivery, call and ask them to bring the order to your car. Most people are more than happy to accommodate you when you tell them you have small children, Mercer said.
• Keep car doors locked and keys on with you while pumping gas with children inside the vehicle.

RAMP UPGRADES: The Interstate 25 and N.M. 6 intersection and on-and-off ramps will soon get improvements to reduce traffic backup on Main Street in Los Lunas, the Valencia County News-Bulletin reported.

Construction is set to start in mid-to-late February and take six-to-eight months to complete, Los Lunas Public Works Director Michael Jaramillo told the News-Bulletin.