I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
SANTA FE — New Mexico sent a heads-up to the Obama administration this week: The Land of Enchantment has 29 shovel-ready projects worth $628 million that are just waiting for federal stimulus money.
That was the message from the New Mexico Transportation Commission on Thursday, when the panel approved submitting the projects for inclusion in the federal stimulus package that Congress is currently contemplating.
The projects picked for the list all involve roadway or bridge construction. There are no mass transit projects, which environmental advocates say would cut down on global warming gases.
The panel’s action doesn’t signal a guarantee that all the projects will be funded by federal money, or guarantee a set amount of money for New Mexico’s highway projects, state transportation officials said. State officials acknowledged they don’t know yet how much New Mexico will receive in federal stimulus dollars. And an analysis given to state lawmakers this week says there could be only $281 million available for highway construction.
“We just want to be prepared. We want to be ahead of the curve,” said state transportation agency spokesman S.U. Mahesh.
“This list of projects will not only provide jobs to many New Mexicans in need, boosting revenues and our state’s economy, but they will also make our roads safer and easier to travel,” state Transportation Secretary-designate Gary Giron said in a news release.
Many of the projects the state Transportation Commission approved have been on hold since December 2007 when the same panel indefinitely postponed the roadway projects because the state had run out of money to pay for them.
At the time New Mexico, like many states, was struggling with a shortage of transportation money because of the skyrocketing inflation affecting the price of construction materials.
But now, with an undetermined amount of federal money expected to flow sometime during the next few months, the state wants to get in line for the infusion of cash.
Most of the projects are part of Gov. Richardson’s Investment Partnership, or GRIP, program. Created in 2003, GRIP was meant to pay for high-profile highway projects around the state; it eventually helped finance the Santa Fe phase of the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter train.
GRIP has recently made headlines. Federal prosecutors are looking into an alleged pay-to-play scheme involving complex financial transactions that were used to help pay for the transportation program.
Mahesh said the transportation commission chose the projects and cost amount based on estimates of how much federal money would go toward roads and bridges across the nation.
At present, the estimate is approximately $30 billion, the state transportation agency’s news release said. The estimate comes from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), which lobbies in Washington, D.C., on behalf of states, Mahesh said.
Under the federal stimulus program, New Mexico would have 120 days to get each project under contract and 180 days to obligate the money and start each project.
Of the 29 projects approved Friday, 21 would be ready to bid on in the first half of this year, and three at the end of 2009, according to the news release. Three projects could be bid on by January 2010. And two projects have no bid date.
The largest single project approved Friday, if funded, would help pay to widen portions of U.S. 491 from Tohatchi to Shiprock through the Navajo Reservation.
Other projects approved include the widening of I-25 from Tramway Boulevard in Albuquerque to Bernalillo; and improvements on I-10 from its intersection with I-25 in Las Cruces to the Texas state line.
Here is a complete list of projects by state transportation districts the commission approved on Thursday.
District 1
I-10, from the I-25 Interchange to Texas State Line; $50 million; Target bid date: May 2009
I-10, NM 404 Interchange Improvements; $7.04 million; Target bid date: May 2009
NM 11, Columbus to Deming; $3.5 million; Target bid date: May 2009
District 2
NM 128, MP 22-38.5; $22 million; Target bid date: March 2009
US 62/180, MP 6-26; $28 million; Target bid date: March 2009
US 380, Priest Gulch Bridge; $2.3 million; Target bid date: Sept. 2009
US 54, Tularosa to Vaughn MP 163-175; $27.5 million; Target bid date: May 2009
US 54, Tularosa to Vaughn, MP 85-96; $22 million; Target bid date: June 2009
US 62/180 MP 16-26 Southbound; $20 million; Target bid date: March 2009
District 3
I-40 Paseo del Volcan/West Central Interchange MP 150-151; $34 million; Target bid date: March 2009
I-25 Tramway to Bernalillo; $70 million; Target bid date: April 2009
District 4
US 64 Raton to Clayton MP 378-390; $30 million; Target bid date: April 2009
US 64 Raton to Clayton, Wetland Mitigation; $250,000; Target bid date: March 2009
US 64 Raton to Clayton MP 360-378; $45 million; Target bid date: August 2009
District 5
US 84/285 MP 187 to MP 189; $12 million; Target bid date: February 2009
US 84/285 MP 186-188; $23 million; Target bid date: February 2009
US 84/285 MP 183 to MP 185; $20 million; Target bid date: April 2009
US 84/285 Pojoaque Pueblo Interchange; $10 million; Target bid date: April 2009
US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 67-75; $30 million; Target bid date: May 2009
US 64, MP 141-148.7 $24.2 million; Target bid date: February 2009
District 6
US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 15-75 Southbound; $13 million; Target bid date: February 2009
US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 59-67; $19 million; Target bid date: June 2009
US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 53-59; $19.5 million; Target bid date: June 2009
US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 45-53; $15 million; Target bid date: July 2009
US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 37-45; $22.6 million; Target bid date: January 2010
US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 31-37; $17.7 million; Target bid date: January 2010
US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 20-31 Northbound; $31.7 million; Target bid date: January 2010
US 491 Navajo 9 to Tohatchi MP 15-20; $7.4 million; No target bid date set
US 491 Navajo 9 to Tohatchi New Bridge MP 17; $1.4 million; No target bid date set
