U.S. Senate to vote on Northwest Loop

By Jimmy Currier, Observer staff writer
Published on Sunday, July 13, 2008

U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, D-NM, reported that a key spending bill that contains millions of dollars in funding he requested for local transportation projects has cleared another hurdle.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the fiscal year 2009 spending bill that funds the U.S. Department of Transportation. The bill, which can now be considered by the full Senate, contains $1 million for an access road in Sandoval County.  Funding will be used to help construct a two-lane gravel Northwest Loop access road that will bypass the metropolitan Albuquerque area by creating an alternate route from Interstate 40 to Interstate 25 via U.S. 550 to the North. Bingaman secured $955,000 for this project in FY 2008.

“This new access road will help alleviate traffic congestion in one of the busiest parts of Albuquerque,” Bingaman said.

Donnie Leonard, District 2 Sandoval county commissioner, is glad to hear the news.

“This is a great opportunity for us to move forward,” Leonard said. “This is something that has been 20 years in the making.”

The road will be 42 miles and 350-feet wide.

Leonard explained the project has been 20 years in the making and that the county has money from the 2007 and 2006 state legislature to use.

The Northwest Loop will alleviate traffic and help spur industry.

The road, combined with the county’s broadband initiative, desalinization plant and airport, will help grow the area.

“What this will do is help us open up land for industrial development,” Leonard said. “It will bring in employers that pay higher wages and we have an improved picture in industry.”

He described the Northwest Loop project as a long-range program.

“It is a multi-million dollar project and it will take years to complete,” Leonard said. “We have to continue moving forward.”

Leonard compared the road to Hwy. 101 in Phoenix that moves traffic out of congested areas.

“This is a win-win for the whole metro area when it comes to moving traffic.”

Once the gravel road is constructed, private entities have committed to funding the pavement of a permanent road.

Ultimately this 15 mile paved road will provide tremendous relief for traffic congestion at the intersection of I-40 and I-25. There is a timing issue, as the rights of way for the road are due to expire in 2007.