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| Wilson Says Sunport Blvd Extension Part of Big Picture for Albuquerque`s Growth |
July 07, 2006 |
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| Wilson Announces Federal Funding for Important Airport Access Road
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today highlighted $400,000 in federal funding that is progressing through Congress for the Sunport Boulevard Extension project, and said the new roadway will add to Albuquerque’s already strong attraction for businesses.
“Albuquerque is already the best place in America to build a business. But we’re going to keep making it better so that more jobs can be created,” Wilson said today, visiting the site of the eventual route that will add access to the airport.
Wilson requested funding for the Sunport extension through a major appropriations bill passed June 13 in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007, now only awaits action from the U.S. Senate.
“Creating jobs and building better roads are two sides of the same coin – one leads to the other,” Wilson said. “Government doesn’t create wealth, but we can create an environment in which businesses small and large can make the decisions that help them grow. That means low taxes, fair regulations and excellent infrastructure and highway access. The Sunport Blvd. extension is more than just a convenience, it also is an important part of the big picture to keep Albuquerque’s economy booming.”
Ben E. Keith is a food distribution Center on Broadway. Currently their trucks and employees use the best available routes. The Sunport Blvd. extension is planned as a connection between I-25 and Broadway Blvd., providing an alternative route to the airport and direct connection for employees of Ben E. Keith and other businesses in the area, and helping to relieve I-25 congestion during rush hours.
“An extension connecting Broadway to Sunport Blvd. will benefit many of our employees at Ben E. Keith,” said Rusty Mathis, Ben E. Keith General Manager. “We appreciate Congresswoman Wilson’s focus on this important project.”
High Desert Forge is a new neighbor to the South Valley industrial corridor. As metal fabricators, they haul heavy equipment and product to various locations on trucks and trailers. Their metal suppliers also deliver heavy loads. The current interchanges at Gibson and Rio Bravo are often busy and do not allow slow moving vehicles to merge safely into traffic traveling at 65 miles per hour. This was especially true when they used over-sized tractor trailers to transport the 28 tons of metal to fabricate the Tri Centennial Towers for the City of Albuquerque. Currently, much of the work is at the Sunport, Sandia National Labs and UNMH Children`s Hospital, and they are constantly interfacing with I-25.
“Having another, safer access to I-25 would be helpful to us and our many neighbors who have the same concerns,” said Christine Glidden, President, High Desert Forge.
The federal Department of Transportation’s JOBMOD Employment Estimation Model, an input/output (I/O) model of the highway construction sector of the U.S. economy, estimates that about 48,000 jobs are created for every $1 billion spent on highway and transportation infrastructure.
Complementing the federal funding for the Sunport extension is similar funding in the same bill, also requested directly by Wilson, for the West Side corridor roadways anchored by the Coors/I-40 interchange, and the new Mesa del Sol access from I-25, the site of a development expected to grow dramatically over the coming years.
Similarly, last year, Wilson worked to secure authorization for $15.6 million for the Coors/I-40 project, New Mexico’s second most-traveled intersection, and $5.6 million for Mesa del Sol within the 6-year highway authorization bill. The efforts will improve traffic flow and strengthen the economy at the local and state level.
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