Within a period of five years, the federal infrastructure plan, which is supported by both parties, is expected to provide New Mexico with nearly three billion dollars for the construction of roads and bridges.
However, the most recent study from a trade group representing the sector indicates that the state requires additional billions of dollars in order to repair its extensive network of roads.
New Mexico has a lot of work to do to fix thousands of miles of freeways and highways, according to the most recent findings of an annual assessment conducted by a non-profit organization called Trip.
This is because traffic has finally reached levels that were higher than they were before the pandemic. The New Mexico Department of Transportation has presented a list of projects that require investment of $5.6 billion in order to enhance the condition of roads and bridges in the state.
The primary objective of these projects is to make the system more reliable and, more importantly, to make it safer. Rocky Moretti, who is the Director of Policy and Research at the TRIP, expressed regret that the monies are not now accessible.
According to the research, five percent of the state’s bridges are in a state of poor condition. Concurrently, inflation has only served to drive up the cost of building construction.
According to TRIP, drivers in New Mexico incur around $3.6 billion in annual costs due to the poor quality of the roads, which results in traffic, accidents, and the need for auto maintenance.
Moretti stated that according to TRIP’s estimations, the average motorist in the Albuquerque area is spending an additional $3,002 year on the expense of driving on bad roads.
The rebuilding of the Gibson and Avenida Cesar Chavez I-25 exits, which will cost $250 million, is one of the most significant projects that are currently sitting outside of funding. The expansion of Interstate 25 to three lanes between Bernalillo and La Bajada is another project that is currently underway.
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As of the most recent data, which was collected in 2023, it was discovered that 33 percent of the state’s major roadways have pavements that are in bad condition.
According to TRIP, more than 2,000 people were died in accidents that occurred on New Mexico highways between the years 2019 and 2023. This statistic places New Mexico as the 12th highest in the nation.
According to TRIP, New Mexico should make investments in its highways because of the increase in the amount of freight traffic.
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According to Moretti, “Certainly, that is a positive sign on economic growth; however, it is also a sign that the stress on the state’s transportation system is only going to increase so that it will need to be addressed in the future.”
In terms of the amount of money that is required for road construction, the report highlighted the southwest New Mexico border region as having the greatest need. As part of this, a paving project worth $300 million will be carried out on Interstate 10 from Deming to the state line.
