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First Congressional District of New Mexico
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ask.heather@mail.house.gov

In Washington DC
442 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC
20515
202-225-6316 Phone
202-225-4975 Fax
In Albuquerque
20 First Plaza NW
Suite 603
Albuquerque, NM
87102
505-346-6781 Phone
505-346-6723 Fax

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Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico


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Reconstructing the Coors/I-40 Interchange April 08, 2004
 
Dear Friends,

Just about everyone in Albuquerque has driven through the Coors and I-40 interchange. Lots of people who live on the west side have to cope with it every day. Sometimes at rush hour it gets backed up all the way to the river on I-40 trying to get up the ramp to Coors.

The intersection was built in the 1960s to handle 9,000 cars a day. Now, it`s the second busiest interchange in New Mexico and about 149,000 cars and trucks go through there every day. Growth estimates are that traffic could double to about 300,000 vehicles by the year 2025.

About four years ago I was at a neighborhood townhall meeting with west side residents and they told me that they didn`t believe the interchange was getting the priority and attention it deserved. They were right. The neighborhood kept working with the city, the state and the Congressional delegation to get the project on a faster track.

Last fall, we were able to secure $1 million in seed money for the interchange through the annual federal transportation spending bill. Earlier this year the Governor and the state legislature made it the top priority in the state transportation plan and set aside about $60 million for the project. But that wasn`t enough to get it all done.

The biggest opportunity for federal funds is in the transportation authorization bill that we authorize every six years. That bill allocates federal gas taxes among the states with a formula that weighs different factors for road miles and congestion -- always a big fight between the populous states who worry about congestion and the states like New Mexico with a lot of road miles per person.

In addition to allocating the gas taxes, the bill specifically prioritizes some special projects. My highest priority was Coors/I-40. Last week the House passed our version of the transportation bill and it included $28 million to finish up the Coors/I-40 interchange. If we`re going to do this, let`s do it right.

Government cannot create wealth. But government can create the conditions for business to grow and create jobs. I believe one of the most important things government can do is keep the infrastructure in good shape as our state grows so that people and goods can move and companies will want to locate and grow in New Mexico.

We still have to negotiate the House transportation bill with the Senate version. I`ll do my best to make sure that we get the job done.

Good to be home,

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