N.M. DOT District 3 highlights $296M in active construction, Gibson interchange study and federal grant hold

Paul Brasher, district 3 engineer for the New Mexico Department of Transportation, told the Transportation, Public Works & Capital Improvements committee on Oct. 12 that District 3 — which covers Albuquerque and surrounding areas — is managing nearly $296,000,000 in construction work and has several major projects in design and preconstruction.

Brasher said the district maintains about 2,061 lane miles and supports approximately 209 positions. “Our flagship project right now is the I 25, Montgomery Comanche, design build currently under construction and, doing well,” Brasher said. He also listed the Gibson interchange reconfiguration and the Rio Bravo bridge replacement among top priorities.

On schedules and costs: Brasher said Rio Bravo is more straightforward to replace and will be advertised for bid in April. The Gibson interchange, by contrast, requires a full reconfiguration; Brasher estimated an approximate cost of $165,000,000 and said the district is completing utility relocation studies, right‑of‑way analysis and environmental work with a report expected in 2025.

Federal funding and statewide perspective: The committee’s secretary noted the department operates on about a $1,200,000,000 annual budget, including roughly $500,000,000 in federal apportionments for roadway construction. The secretary told the committee the sum of federal grant agreements currently held up is “about $340,000,000,” meaning execution of those awards is paused pending federal review.

Contracting, vacancies and operations: Brasher said the district’s vacancy rate is about 18.7% with most openings in maintenance. Committee members asked about contractor vetting; Brasher described the department’s prequalification process to screen bidders and explained that seeding, revegetation and erosion control are typically the contractor’s responsibility under most construction contracts.

Traffic and safety items: Committee members pressed for timelines on the Rio Bravo and Gibson projects and asked about access management studies (Dennis Chavez Boulevard and Rio Bravo) to control left turns and driveway access as development continues. Brasher said the study will evaluate lane widths, signals and driveway configuration to manage access.

Public outreach and next steps: Multiple representatives praised ongoing work at the Comanche interchange and encouraged DOT to continue outreach on zipper‑merge education and work zone messaging. The secretary and district staff agreed to brief the committee further on the federal funding hold.

Ending: District 3’s presentation combined project updates, design‑to‑construction timelines and staffing challenges; the federal grant hold and the Gibson interchange study emerged as the session’s most immediate issues for follow up.