Rough Road Ahead

Author note: The following information is provided by a developing group of concerned TorC businesses
(with author comments added ) as a follow-up to the recent Public Information Meeting on Wednesday October 23rd.

The NM Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a press release announcing a Public Information Meeting (Author note: Notice it is NOT listed as a “Public Comment meeting”) in Williamsburg on Wednesday 10-23-24. The purpose of the meeting was to present the “new roadway striping and lane configuration concepts being proposed along N. Broadway St. and Main Ave. in downtown” TorC.

But attendees were stunned to learn that DOT planned to start repaving downtown in just two (2) weeks. And they said they would work downtown until Thanksgiving, take a two (2) week break, and then start again on December 15th and work well into the new year.

Downtown merchants at the meeting responded that after barely surviving the closing of the Northbound I-25 off-ramp, the City Water Pipe Replacement project, and then the movie production [during the filming of Eddington], this new construction project could lead them into bankruptcy. [Planned construction] starts during the holiday shopping period where some businesses make more than half their annual revenue and continues well past the tourist season. They feared it would literally put them out of business.

DOT said the project was a part of their I-25 Business Loop (BL-11) Safety Improvement Project. (Author Note: Beyond the disruption to businesses during construction there is also concern regarding the resulting lane configuration which calls for reducing the one-way traffic from two lanes to one lane with an added  bike lane. This is especially concerning relative to the amount of emergency vehicle usage that frequents the downtown routes.)

Following is the Press Release announcing the Wednesday meeting: 

You’re invited to the Public Information Meeting for the I-25 Business Loop (BL-11) Safety Improvement

I-25 Business Loop (BL-11) Safety Improvement

Public Information Meeting

Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 3:30 to 6 p.m.

 The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) is holding a public information meeting for the community to learn about the new roadway striping and lane configuration concepts being proposed along N. Broadway St and Main Ave. in Downtown Truth or Consequences, NM. The proposed concepts have been developed to reduce speeding, eliminate blind corners; create safer access to the local businesses for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

The NMDOT Project Team will be available after to talk about the proposed concepts and answer questions. Your attendance and input is important to allow the NMDOT to understand if changes to the existing lane configuration layout should be implemented during the upcoming pavement preservation project scheduled to begin this November.

When:

3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Where:

Gardner Learning Center

601 Sunset St.

Truth or Consequences, NM 87901

(Western New Mexico Branch Building)

ADA: To request Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) related accommodations for this meeting, contact Ami Evans at (575) 640-5981 at least 48-hour prior to the meeting.

For more information contact:

Ami R Evans, District 1 Public Information Officer

575-640-5981  Ami.Evans#state.nm.us

(Author Note: The press release was distributed on short notice and while it ends with a statement regarding ADA access “if requests were received 48 hours in advance”, many attendees mentioned they didn’t receive the meeting notification until the day before the scheduled meeting.)

The content for this article was provided by a group of concerned TorC merchants. Full disclosure: The author is a merchant on N. Broadway and along with all other businesses in the downtown area will be personally impacted by this project.