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District 6 engineer highlights I‑40 enhancements, equipment buy and inventory of maintenance needs
Summary
NMDOT District 6 staff presented the district’s operating budget, ongoing and proposed projects — including widened I‑40 sections and a screening plant to process millings — and said vacancy rate is about 8.1%; members praised clearer maps and asked for contact lists for local issues.
Lisa Vega, District 6 engineer for the New Mexico Department of Transportation, told the House Transportation, Public Works & Capital Improvements Committee that District 6’s operating and construction work is focused on preserving pavement and improving safety on I‑40 and other corridors while also addressing aging facilities and staff vacancies.
Vega summarized the district budget and staffing: the district’s operating construction contracts total about $93,000,000, contract maintenance about $7,000,000 and field supplies about $6,500,000; the presented employee breakdown showed roughly 247 permanent positions and five temporary interns and a vacancy rate of 8.1%.
Major projects and I‑40: Vega listed ongoing and proposed construction on state routes including New Mexico 566, NM126, NM264, NM132 and US‑550 and highlighted proposed major investments on I‑40. On the district STIP she identified project 6101581 (I‑40 mileposts roughly 39.8–44.8) and said that section will receive an “enhanced 2 lane” treatment with two 12‑foot lanes and two 12‑foot shoulders. Vega said the district’s priority number 1 project (I‑40 mileposts 17.9–21.9) will also include an enhanced two‑lane design; she said the district is “in the process of moving forward with trying to program more projects on I‑40 with the widened sections as recommended by the corridor study.”
Maintenance and equipment: Vega described the district’s maintenance program and noted a new screening plant purchase that “will allow the district to process our milling stockpiles into surface treatment aggregate, which we can then utilize for our chip seals.” The presentation included before/after photos of paving, chip seal crews and bridge crew work.
Staffing: Representative Lundstrom asked if the 8.1% vacancy was primarily engineering roles; Vega said vacancies included program support, engineering support, maintenance and construction positions and that the district had only one open engineering position at that moment and was in the hiring process.
Committee response: Members commended the packet and maps. Representative Armstrong said the reports are clearer and asked district staff to provide contact lists for district points of contact for constituent issues; Vega and staff said maps are available for members and staff would provide contact information.
Ending: Vega concluded by standing for questions and staff said they will continue to refine letting schedules and coordinate on large corridor grants and alignment concerns for projects such as the Allison Corridor in Gallup.
