Mountain Road construction begins

Staff report long-awaited reconstruction and improvement project of Mountain Road in Tucumcari recently began and will continue through winter 2020.

The public will be informed of lane closings and restrictions along U.S. 54, aka Mountain Road, and Interstate 40 for the project. Access will be maintained to all businesses on Mountain Road, although the speed limit was reduced to 15 mph in construction zones last week.

According to a news release, the $10.5 million project involves one mile of U.S. 54 from I-40 to Route 66, plus exit and entrance ramps to I-40. The project includes:

n Reconstruction of on-ramps and off-ramps at Exit 333 of I-40 so they can better handle the heavy volume of large trucks;

• Reconstruction of U.S. 54 at I-40;

• Installation of new 6-inch and 10-inch waterlines and a new 36-inch storm drain on U.S. 54 from north of I-40 to just north of Route 66;

• Erosion-control measures;

• New signs, road striping and utility work.

The first of four phases for the work has begun, and work hours for that phase will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Crews will close shoulders along U.S. 54 and install the 10-inch waterline there. Crews also will bore underneath Route 66 for the line. Crews also will install a new detour to prepare for Phase 2.

Phase 1 work likely will be suspended in December but scheduled to resume in the spring. Patti Watson, a communications consultant for the project's contractor, said the length of the suspension will depend on winter-weather conditions, which in turn would affect the overall completion of the project.

Phase 2 will be from spring through summer 2020. Crews will install the 36-inch storm drain and 6-inch waterline along U.S. 54. They also will install a new median, cubs and sidewalk and finish installation of the 10-inch waterline. Work hours for Phase 2 will be announced at a later date.

For Phase 3 in summer 2020, crews will continue installing the 10-inch waterline and storm drain and finish curb, gutter and sidewalk work along U.S. 54. Work hours for Phase 3 will be announced at a later date.

For Phase 4 in summer through winter 2020, crews will rebuild the I-40 ramps at Exit 333 and repave and restripe portions of the roadway and install new signs. Work hours for Phase 3 will be announced at a later date.

AUI Inc. of Albuquerque is the contractor for the project, with funding from the New Mexico Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration.