Public Works details Broadmoor, neighborhood streets, pipeline projects and roundabout plans; funding gaps remain

Public Works staff updated the Public Infrastructure Advisory Board on a lengthy slate of roadway and pipeline projects, noting active construction on Broadmoor Boulevard, ongoing neighborhood street programs, and multiyear pipeline corridor projects intended to leverage federal construction funding. Staff also described a roundabout proposal at Sarah Road and Meadowlark Lane that currently lacks full construction funding.

Key items reported - Broadmoor Boulevard: construction is underway from Country Club Drive to Loma Colorado; staff said the contractor (Albuquerque Asphalt) was progressing and the project may finish sooner than the anticipated 12 months. A detour is active at Panorama Heights. - Neighborhood Streets Improvement Program (NSIP): staff described hybrid mill-and-inlay residential reconstruction phases; phase 3 is ongoing and work will continue district by district with in‑house patch-and-seal work scheduled to resume in September. - Sarah Road and Meadowlark Lane roundabout and waterline: staff said the project is roughly $7,000,000 total; the city received about $1.0 million in a HUD grant and must identify the remaining roughly $6.0 million to construct the roadway and utilities. Staff confirmed an application to the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program was submitted and that selections are expected later in the year; the roundabout is a test case for future large intersection controls. - Pipeline projects and corridors: staff reiterated the city’s approach to fund early design and right‑of‑way work (“pipeline projects”) to make corridors shovel‑ready for federal construction grants. Unser Boulevard reconstruction was cited as a roughly $31,000,000 corridor where federal funds previously covered part of costs (about $14,000,000) but additional local funding is required. - Cost and safety tradeoffs for roundabouts: staff noted roundabouts have higher upfront costs but lower long‑term maintenance and safety benefits; staff referenced engineering guidance that a conventional intersection can have many more crash conflict points than a roundabout, reducing severity when collisions occur. Staff gave example one intersection control estimate as high as $16–$18 million for complex roundabout work and associated drainage.

Funding challenges Staff emphasized that many corridor projects are large (tens of millions) and will require a mix of federal grants, state funding and local capital. The timing of federal agreements (for example the state DOT cooperative agreement process) can delay project starts until federal fiscal year windows align.

Board questions and follow-up Members asked about project timing, right-of-way acquisition and coordination between utilities and public works; staff said FY2026 budget allocations include some right-of-way funding and that staff will pursue federal grants and DOT cooperative agreements. The board requested continued updates as grant decisions and cooperative agreements are finalized.

Next steps Public Works will continue construction on Broadmoor, phase neighborhood programs, pursue federal funding for Sarah Road roundabout and advance pipeline corridor designs and right-of-way work to position larger projects for federal construction grants.