Corrales announces EZ Fiber construction in April; village to get biweekly maps and free home hookups
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Summary
Village administrators said EZ Fiber will start construction in April, will provide biweekly maps and a local phone line for resident questions, and will not charge homeowners for the street-to-home connection. Councilors asked about coordination with utilities and potential traffic impacts.
Administrator Melanie told the council that EZ Fiber will begin construction in April and has agreed to provide biweekly updates and maps so residents can see where crews are working. "They are going to start construction in April, and they have agreed to give us biweekly updates on what part of the village they'll be working in," Melanie said, adding that the company will provide a local phone number for complaints and that the home connection from the street will be provided to residents at no charge.
The announcement triggered questions from councilors about timing and coordination with other utilities. Councilor Murray asked whether the village will receive a schedule of digging locations and potential traffic disruptions; Melanie said the company will share more information after an upcoming preconstruction meeting. The village said EZ Fiber submitted requests for five excavation permits that will effectively divide Corrales into five work areas.
The village chief cautioned that fiber crews typically use directional boring and that other utilities must maintain required separations. "There has to be a separation between the two utilities," the chief said, explaining that fiber conduit may be placed well below existing mains in some places but that coordination will be necessary to avoid older, unmapped lines. Staff said they will monitor planned routes and test a pilot approach for deeper installation (roughly six feet in some locations) to reduce the risk of hitting unrecorded infrastructure.
Melanie also told the council EZ Fiber will clearly mark contractor vehicles with a magnetic sign indicating they are working for EZ Fiber, so residents can distinguish them from other digging crews such as PNM or Comcast. She said some lines will be installed aerially on utility poles where appropriate and the village will include EZ Fiber updates in the mayor’s message.
A preconstruction meeting and biweekly public updates are expected in the coming weeks; staff said they will post the company’s maps and a local contact number once available.