ROAD WARRIOR
ABQ begins Gibson Boulevard beautification work
Parts of Alameda Boulevard to see upgrades; new speed cameras to go up in Santa Fe
Southeast Albuquerque drivers can expect to see some changes to parts of Gibson Boulevard in the coming weeks.
That鈥檚 because the city will be beautifying medians between University and Interstate 25 by the University of New Mexico鈥檚 South Campus. Decorative features will include silhouettes of running lobos and new foliage.
The renovated medians will serve as a gateway for the new Lobo Crossing Shopping Center, Department of Municipal Development spokesperson Gabe Chavez said.
The project is expected to take eight weeks, he said.
鈥淭he University shares Mayor (Tim) Keller鈥檚 vision for a vibrant southern gateway to Albuquerque,鈥 Lobo Development Chief Operating Officer Tom Neale said in a statement. 鈥淎s new development takes shape, it鈥檚 equally important that we invest in the public spaces and streetscapes that connect people to this area, and create a strong sense of place and community pride.鈥
ALAMEDA UPGRADES: The city is widening Alameda Boulevard between Rich Court and Barstow NE as part of a project to improve traffic flow, walkability and drainage in the area.
Westbound Alameda from Rich to Barstow will be widened to two lanes, a left-turn lane will be added to southbound Barstow and an 8-foot sidewalk will be installed along the north side of Alameda, connecting to the existing sidewalk at Rich and on northbound Barstow, Chavez said.
Work will also include storm drain upgrades on the east side of Barstow, he said.
Construction began on Thursday and is expected to take seven months to complete.
While westbound Alameda between Rich Court and Barstow Street will be closed during the project, Barstow will have one lane open in each direction between Alameda and the La Cueva Channel, Chavez said.
For more on other road closures, visit the city鈥檚
SPEED CAMERAS: On Monday, new speed cameras will go live in Santa Fe.
In April, the Santa Fe City Council a five-year, $4 million contract with Jenoptik Smart Mobility Solutions LLC to put up speed and noise enforcement cameras to address concerns about dangerous driving.
Santa Fe Interim Police Chief Ben Valdez said in an email that the department is working to have the noise cameras up and running in the next few weeks.
鈥淭he automated enforcement equipment will help us change driving behavior and encourage unsafe drivers to be more aware of the speed limit in our community, to follow the speed limit and, in turn, this will help with reducing vehicle crashes,鈥 he said.
There will be a 30-day warning period before citations will be issued on Oct. 1.
The penalties for going more than 10 mph above the limit are $50 for a first offense and $100 for a second offense within two years of the first violation, Valdez said in a news release.
In school or construction zones, fines for going over 5 mph over are $100.
For each citation paid, 50% of the proceeds will go to the state, 35% goes to the vendor and the city keeps the remaining 15% to operate the program. Any excess revenue paid to the city will be used for its traffic safety initiatives, he said.
The initial camera locations will be on the 2400 block of Zio Road, 2600 block of Agua Fria Street, 3200 block of Rodeo Road, 7500 block of Airport Road and 6700 block of Jaguar Drive.
ISLETA WORK PAUSED: Bernalillo County has paused work on the Isleta Boulevard Corridor Project due to the New Mexico Gas Company鈥檚 (NMGC) need to redesign and install a gas system in the project area, Bernalillo County Associate Engineer Gary Moreno-Ulibarri said in an email.
鈥淥ver the next several months, residents may continue to see construction activity, traffic control, equipment, and personnel associated with NMGC,鈥 Bernalillo County spokesperson Kristen Ferguson said in a news release. 鈥淒uring this period, residents with questions or concerns should contact NMGC directly.鈥
Work is expected to resume in early 2027, she said.
PAVEMENT PRESERVATION: On Aug. 24, the New Mexico Department of Transportation began a nearly $1.3 million cement preservation project on N.M. 96 between Regina and Gallina.
Work will take place from milepost 8 (a mile west of Regina) to milepost 25 (6 miles east of Gallina) and it will include the application of a micro surface treatment on the existing asphalt, NMDOT District 5 spokesperson James Murray said.
The project is expected to be completed by Sept. 10, he 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.