Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
District 4 of the New Mexico Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced the completion of the interchange for Interstate 40 and U.S. 54, aka South Mountain Road, in Tucumcari, though other work in that area continues.
Travis Martinez, spokesman for the agency, said the $12 million project upgraded the existing roadway with new Portland cement concrete pavement that provides additional roadway durability for the high volume of big-truck traffic in that area.
The roadway also was widened from two lanes to four lanes to handle high traffic there.
Along with new sidewalks and ramps that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, lighting infrastructure was placed in preparation of installation of new streetlights in Phase II of the U.S. 54 interchange with Tucumcari Boulevard (aka Route 66), which is ongoing.
New drainage structures also were installed on all four ramps on Interstate 40, which will aid in the prevention of erosion.
Road construction crews earlier this month turned the intersection of East Tucumcari Boulevard and U.S. 54 into a four-way stop as part of the Mountain Road reconstruction project. The intersection will remain a four-way stop through the end of 2021.
Crews are building detour pavement and extending a concrete box culvert near the southbound lane of U.S. 54 north of Interstate 40. One lane of traffic will be open both the northbound and southbound directions.
El Terrero Construction is the contractor on the Mountain Road project.
Construction on the project is expected to last through late 2022.