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| Wilson and Domenici Secure Federal Funds for Retail Center Interchange |
April 25, 2003 |
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Construction will Create Jobs and Alleviate Congestion
Albuquerque, NM –Congresswoman Heather Wilson was briefed today by the New Mexico Highway and Transportation Department on progress with reconstruction of the Interstate 40 and Louisiana Interchange. Wilson and New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici worked in Congress to secure $750,000 in seed money for the project. That funding was included in the FY2003 Omnibus Appropriations bill that passed the U.S. Congress in February. The federal construction dollars will be delivered through the state Highway Department.
“This interchange serves uptown – one of Albuquerque’s prime retail and professional office hubs,” said Wilson. “There are jobs created here by the many small and not so small businesses, and we want to see continued growth unimpeded by traffic congestion. It needs to be easy to get on and off the freeway for employees and customers.”
“We pushed for these federal funds because we believe this work will be critical to promoting safe and efficient commuting in one of the busiest areas of town. As Albuquerque continues to grow, so does the traffic congestion. Updates to this major artery should make driving in the Duke City much easier for residents,” said Domenici, who as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee helped to secure funding for the project.
The I-40 Louisiana Interchange project is located in the heart of Albuquerque, serving two of the three largest shopping centers in New Mexico and a busy retail center that includes job-generating shops, hotels, and restaurants. The scope of the project consists of reconstructing the I-40/Louisiana interchange, on/off ramps, and Louisiana Boulevard from Constitution Avenue to America’s Parkway. The project also includes major drainage improvement, noise wall construction, sidewalk construction, striping, signing, signal lighting, and ADA improvements. The total estimated cost for the project is $18 million.
The Middle Rio Grande Council of Governments identified the intersection as the number one priority in its 2001 Transportation Improvement Plan. It was designed as a Single Point Urban Interchange, where all the traffic merges to one location. Once completed, it will be the third of its type within the state and the second in Albuquerque. It will be the first of its type with the intersection on the bridge deck.
“This project means a lot to the people who live near here, but also to people statewide who come in to shop in this very busy retail area,” says Roger Easley, President of the Uptown Progress Team, a neighborhood association that represents business and landowners in the Uptown area. “During the retail season in November and December this intersection gets really congested. That creates a problem for residents and shoppers, and also creates an environmental problem. This construction, once it gets under way, will make a major difference.”
“This federal funding is just one example of how the federal government can participate in projects to create jobs and strengthen our economic recovery,” said Wilson.
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