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| Wilson Announces Federal Transportation Funding |
February 13, 2003 |
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Jobs in South Valley, Uptown to flow from federal dollars
Albuquerque, NM - Congresswoman Heather Wilson announced today that the House has approved millions of dollars in funding for a variety of New Mexico transportation and infrastructure projects. The funding is included in an overall Omnibus Appropriations bill for FY 2003. The deal includes several projects that Wilson requested, including infrastructure improvements on Albuquerque’s Westside, new buses for the City of Albuquerque, and phase II of the Isleta Boulevard reconstruction project.
“Albuquerque is among the fastest growing cities in the country. We need good jobs and the infrastructure to support them. These improvements are part of that effort,” Wilson said.
$2.075 million for the existing I-40 & Paseo del Volcan Interchange and Access Road to Double Eagle II Airport project: This funding is for improvements to the existing interchange and access road. The 40-year-old interchange will be rebuilt and improved with changes to the ramping configuration, reconstruction and widening of the bridge structures, and operational improvements at the connecting arterial streets. Furthermore, there will be improvements to the north side freeway, the two-way frontage road that connects the Double Eagle II Interchange to the proposed future Paseo del Volcan alignment, located west of the interchange. Reconstruction of the Double Eagle II Interchange is also important to providing an efficient connection to the Paseo del Volcan corridor, and is part of the National Highway System.
$750,000 for the Interstate-40/Louisiana interchange Project: The project will include a full reconstruction of existing interchange from Constitution Avenue to Americas Parkway to include construction of a single point interchange with connections and intersections to local cross streets. The interchange provides access to the uptown office/retail area. This area is densely developed, containing a major shopping center and numerous office buildings, resulting in heavy congestion. The Middle Rio Grande Council of Governments has identified this intersection as the number one priority in its 2001 Transportation Improvement Plan. This is a major economic and activity center for the City of Albuquerque. Further the City has recently begun master plans to ensure the long-range vitality of this area.
$300,000 for the Alvarado Transportation Center Phase II Project. The Alvarado Transportation Center has been designed to function as a multimodal transportation hub. Phase I of the Alvarado Transportation Center project will be completed at the end of March 2002. Phase II of the project is the design and construction of a joint use depot for Greyhound, other interstate motorcoach operators, and rail service. Funding is needed to design the second phase of the project, complete site preparation and initiate construction.
$1 million to replace buses. Replacement of these vehicles will assist in maintaining a consistent level of service to transit customers. The City received an authorization in TEA-21 for the purchase of new buses. Since 1998, the City has received earmarked funding in the transportation appropriations bills for additional bus purchases.
$1.5 million for the acquisition and construction of Isleta Boulevard from Bridge Boulevard to Arenal Road. This is for the second phase of this road improvement project. Wilson helped secure $5 million in federal funds for Phase I, which is under construction. Improvements to Isleta Boulevard are needed to address safety, drainage, and capacity issues within the city. Isleta Boulevard is a two lane principal arterial located in Albuquerque’s south valley. The project covers a 3.3-mile section from Bridge Boulevard to Rio Bravo Boulevard. The current configuration of this portion of Isleta Boulevard includes two 4-meter- (m) or 13-foot- (ft) wide driving lanes and shoulders, but no curb, gutter, sidewalk, bike lanes, or turning lanes. A higher-than-average number of accidents have been reported for the roadway in the past decade. A primary contributor to this problem has been identified as the lack of a turning lane. Pedestrian-vehicular interaction is a notable safety hazard due to the lack of sidewalks. The current traffic volume frequently congests primary intersections, and heavy rainfall regularly floods portions of the roadway. The project improvements will include the reconstruction of the roadway and will also include a center left turn lane, sidewalks, landscaping, lighting, bike lanes and a drainage system. Furthermore, the intersections will be widened and improved, and in some segments additional lanes will be added to increase roadway capacity.
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