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Aztec leaders press DOT on Highway 550 arterial safety and funding; chair cites $7 million for project
Summary
Commissioners raised safety concerns about the arterial connection to State Road 516 and discussed Phase 3 design, possible relocation near the Masonic Lodge, and assembly attendance at an NM DOT meeting Jan. 15. The chair said he secured $7 million toward finishing the arterial.
City leaders in Aztec used the Jan. 7 commission meeting to press the New Mexico Department of Transportation for attention to safety at the arterial connection near Highway 550 and State Road 516 and to discuss options for Phase 3 of the arterial project.
The chair said the current design creates an unsafe access to SR 516 for people coming from nearby neighborhoods and urged DOT not to lose focus on the project. Staff reported that Phase 3 had already been designed and that engineers recommended against redesigning the segment near the Masonic Lodge because changing the design would increase cost and delay the timeline.
The chair said he intends to request state funds, telling the commission that he secured $7,000,000 to finish the arterial and that funds were transferred into the appropriate account after discussions with the DOT secretary. Staff and commissioners discussed the trade-offs between redesigning the plan to address local concerns and the higher cost and schedule impact of such changes.
The commission noted a New Mexico DOT meeting in Bloomfield on Jan. 15 at 8:30 a.m. about arterial issues and encouraged up to one other commissioner to attend. Staff and commissioners said they would continue to press the district engineer and DOT on safety concerns and the project’s priority.
The commission did not take a formal vote on design changes at the meeting. Commissioners directed staff to continue coordination with DOT and to monitor options for funding and any required alterations to Phase 3.
