Doña Ana MPO board ranks Mesilla’s McDowell resurfacing first, approves Angler and Calle de Colon placements

Doña Ana County Metropolitan Planning Organization board members on May 13 voted to rank three candidates for the 2026 New Mexico Transportation Project Fund, placing the Town of Mesilla’s McDowell resurfacing project first, the City of Las Cruces’ Angler Road extension second and Mesilla’s Calle (Calle de) Colon resurfacing third.

The decision followed presentations from city and town staff. Vanessa Morales Romero, public works department project lead for the City of Las Cruces, told the board the city is requesting $3,000,000 to cover planning, design and construction for Angler Road phases 1–3 and said the city already has $1,000,000 in capital outlay plus an additional $1,000,000 allocated by the city; the application includes a proposed developer cost-share and coordination with the Bureau of Land Management for a later phase.

The nut of the board’s action was a motion to specify ranking order. Vice Chair (mover) proposed McDowell as the board’s No. 1 priority, Angler No. 2 and Calle de Colon No. 3; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote with all members voting yes.

Why it matters: NMDOT requires the MPO to submit a prioritized list (1–3) for the call for projects; the ranking determines each project’s relative standing when the state evaluates awards. Both BPAC and TAC had recommended the same priority order prior to the governing-board vote.

Project details and local commitments: Morales Romero outlined Angler as a multi-phase arterial intended to provide an east–west connection; the city seeks $3,000,000 to fund planning, design and initiate construction of phase 1, and noted cross-sections will include multimodal facilities and potential roundabouts subject to traffic analysis and public comment. Mesilla Mayor Russell Hernandez presented McDowell resurfacing as roughly a half-mile, 24-foot-wide segment with a requested amount of $267,835.52 and a stated town match (approximately $13,391.78); the town’s Calle de Colon resurfacing was presented with a total cost of $333,100.44 and a proportional match around $166,550.22. Both Mesilla projects include engineering, construction and construction management and will consider water-line work during design.

Votes at a glance: Resolution 26-03 (project prioritization) — motion to prioritize McDowell No.1, Angler No.2, Calle de Colon No.3 — mover: Vice Chair; second: Councilor Matisse; roll-call vote recorded unanimous approval. Resolution 26-04 (TIP amendments) — amendments to FY2024–29 TIP including Roadrunner Transit capital equipment funding adjustment (FTA 5307 reduced to $32,000 + $8,000 general funds) and an additional $100,000 SDPF for Angler I-25 interchange construction engineering — motion passed on roll-call.

What’s next: The MPO staff will submit the prioritized list per NMDOT instructions; project sponsors should expect to coordinate further on design and cost-share issues if awarded state funds. The governing board also approved TIP amendments that adjust funding levels for transit equipment and add construction-engineering funds to the Angler I-25 interchange project.

Source and attribution: Quotes and project details come from presentations and the roll-call record during the Doña Ana County MPO governing-board meeting on May 13, 2026. The City of Las Cruces presentation was made by Vanessa Morales Romero, public works department; Mesilla’s projects were presented by Mayor Russell Hernandez. Board motions and roll-call outcomes were recorded on the meeting record.