ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Get ready for one of the biggest road projects to hit Albuquerque freeways in a decade. The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) now says the first round of heavy construction and lane closures around some major interchange revamps will hit this week.
On Monday, NMDOT is sending out email and phone alerts about work starting on I-25 at Comanche and Montaño.
“We’ve started off just trying to get everything in order to start moving traffic to the inside lanes of I-25 within both directions,” said NMDOT Public Information Officer Kimberly Gallegos.
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The project will add an extra lane on southbound I-25, while crews will also reconfigure ramps at Comanche and Montgomery, including the permanent closure of one-way freeway entrance.
“The loop ramp is going away completely so yeah that will be taken completely off, and it won’t be coming back at Montgomery going to I-25 southbound,” stated Gallegos.
NMDOT has brought in dozens of these concrete wall barriers. They’ll be placing them along the highway in order to close off lanes while also protecting construction workers.
“I drive from Los Lunas, and it took about 20 minutes to get through the intersection, and it normally takes me about two. It’s my shortcut; it’s not going to be a shortcut anymore,” explained Ashley Schutte, commuter.
Crews will do most of the barricade placement overnight for the next two weeks from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
“Today, during my lunch hour, I’m experimenting, using my time, to see up at Montgomery down on Menaul, Carlisle, Candelaria. So, I’m kind of seeing what’s about to happen,” expressed Jeff Kemp, commuter.
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While barricade work could start on Wednesday, drivers are still getting used to the idea of the project lasting through mid-2027.
The project, which also includes some freeway U-turn lanes, is costing around $278 million. Drivers can sign up for construction text alerts on the NMDOT website.
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