Unser, Paseo improvement project gets going

The city of Albuquerque broke ground Tuesday on a yearslong effort to expand and improve Unser Boulevard and Paseo del Norte and provide traffic relief for West Side residents.

“Happy St. Patrick’s Day and Happy Paseo and Unser Day,” Rep. Joy Garratt, D-Albuquerque, said on an 80-degree, breezy afternoon at the corner of Unser and Boulder Trail NW. “We’ve been waiting for this.”

After several years of planning and raising money, work on the $62 million first phase of the Unser and Paseo project, which Mayor Tim Keller called “the largest city road project ever,” is under way.

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

“Paseo and Unser have been a daily frustration for residents across the West Side, from Albuquerque to Rio Rancho," City Councilor Dan Lewis, who represents the area, said in a statement. “By launching Phase 1 today, we are creating a vital alternative to Coors Boulevard while building the momentum needed to secure the final funding for Phase 2. It’s exciting to see this investment finally hitting the ground where it’s needed most.”

In the first phase, work will start on Unser and go from Paradise to just beyond Paseo del Norte, which will be widened from Calle Norteña west to just past Unser. Future phases will include widening both streets, including Paseo west to Rainbow and Unser south to Rainbow, said Dan Mayfield, spokesperson for the department of Municipal Development.

In January, crews began relocating utilities, installing traffic barriers and moving earth to prepare the corridor for construction, he said in a news release.

“Drivers should watch for shifting traffic patterns as the project intensifies,” Mayfield said.

West Side resident John Clausing said while the project will cause inconveniences, it has been a long time coming.

“I look forward to seeing it get done,” he said.

The city has been pushing for the project since 2018 when local and state legislators first secured capital outlay funding for it, according to the city.

Aside from improving the traffic flow, Garratt said “widening and expanding both of these roads” will help first responders get to calls quicker.

“For the first time in my life,” she said, “I can say I’m happy to see (construction) barrels and (barricades).”

While Mayfield said he didn’t have “any firm dates” for the completion of the first phase, he anticipates it will be done in 2027. 

It is unclear when the second phase would begin or how much it will cost, but Lewis said during the news conference that the plan is “when we’re ready to build those phases … we’re going to have the funding, the remaining funding, to just make this a continual project.”

“So we’re not just going to stop at Phase 1, which in itself is a $62 million project, a massive project,” he said. “We’re going to keep on rolling and keep on building things right.”

Phase 1 is being done by Star Paving Co. of Albuquerque, which has hired local subcontractors to help with the work.

“So that’s local jobs, local money,” DMD Director Jennifer Turner said.

Turner said people should follow the 25 mph construction zone speed limits and be mindful of those working on the project.

“Keep them safe,” she said.

Gregory R.C. Hasman is a general assignment reporter and the Road Warrior. He can be reached at ghasman@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3820.