Road Warrior: NMDOT recognized for preservation of old Route 66 near Los Lunas

Congratulations to the New Mexico Department of Transportation.

NMDOT received the Asphalt Pavement Alliance’s 2025 Perpetual Pavement Award, “recognizing exceptional long-term performance and preservation of a historic section of New Mexico Route 6, part of the original Route 66 alignment,” NMDOT spokesperson Kristine Bustos-Milhelcic said in a news release on Friday.

The recognized segment is a 9-mile portion of N.M. 6, west of Los Lunas, that originally opened in 1928 as part of U.S. Highway 66, she said. Route 66 was only two years old at the time.

“Remarkably, it has never experienced a structural failure, despite nearly a century of use, extreme temperature swings, difficult soil and seasonal monsoons,” Bustos-Milhelcic said. “... This durability reflects NMDOT’s use of innovative technologies, engineered drainage, reinforced subgrades, and sustainable maintenance strategies.

“At no point has the pavement structure been increased by more than 4 inches, maintaining its historic character while meeting modern performance standards.”

Since 2001, the award has recognized 217 roads across 36 states and Canada. To qualify, Bustos-Milhelcic said, roads must last at least 35 years without a major structural failure, “a benchmark New Mexico’s Route 6 has far exceeded.”

PROJECT FUNDING: NMDOT recently announced it was awarding about $100 million to 71 projects across the state through its Transportation Project Fund program.

Of the $100 million, about $15.3 million will go toward District 3 projects like the Paseo del Volcan extension in Sandoval County ($4.75 million). The district encompasses Bernalillo, Valencia and parts of Sandoval counties.

“These projects provide vital funding to advance communities’ most urgent infrastructure priorities, improving connectivity and access through the enhancement of highways, streets, bridges and multi-modal facilities for vehicles, transit, bicycles and pedestrians,” DOT Secretary Ricky Serna said in a news release.

VEHICLES WITH FLASHING LIGHTS: In the Sept. 15 column, the Road Warrior reported that NMDOT wanted to remind people to move over and slow down when they see emergency vehicles with flashing lights.

“Obviously, motorists should do so for police vehicles, ambulances and fire trucks,” reader David Robertson said. “But with so many vehicles having flashing lights, how do motorists tell which emergency vehicles to pull over or slow down for until they are very close?”

Robertson pointed out there are many types of vehicles with flashing lights, i.e. utility trucks.

“I would think the intention of all these flashing lights is to make the roads safer, but it may not be working very well and may be doing the opposite,” he said. “Motorists may not respond quickly and may slow down the police, ambulance and fire vehicle. Or, worse, they may ignore them altogether, since most vehicles with flashing lights do not require a motorist to pull over.

“It’s a bit like those orange construction signs that say lane closed ahead. Many times the lane is not actually closed but the contractors leave the initial sign up anyway. The result is that many motorists ignore the initial sign and keep driving in that lane to see if the lane really is closed.”

LEFT LANES: Speaking of lanes, NMDOT is reminding travelers that the left lane is for passing other vehicles.

“Drivers should not remain in the left lane if they are not actively passing other vehicles to prevent unnecessary congestion and potential hazards,” according to an NMDOT social media post. “Emergency situations also permit exceptions, such as when avoiding hazards or providing room for emergency vehicles.”