ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Ahead of rebuilding one of the most important bridges in the South Valley, Bernalillo County is warning drivers about a major multi-day closure at a critical intersection that’s just weeks away.
Crews are prepping to rebuild the Rio Bravo Bridge over the river by the end of the year, but before that, the county will shut down the intersection for five days. A work in progress for more than a year, the county is a long way into the project it calls the “Rio Bravo Boulevard Gap,” from the freeway and 2nd street. They are adding more driving lanes, sidewalks, bike lanes, and extra lighting.
Now, the biggest lift of that project is about to begin. That is rebuilding the Rio Bravo and 2nd Street intersection by the railroad tracks, causing crews to shut the whole area down for days. “The track that’s being installed has to be installed as one unit and it can’t be broken up because if there was a weld in the tracks in the middle they could break apart sometime in the future and the road would have to be closed again,” said Rodrigo Eichwald, Engineering Manager for Bernalillo County.
That means crews will close the east and west lanes on Rio Bravo Boulevard near 2nd Street, forcing drivers to take a detour around, via Woodward Road and Sunport Boulevard.
The county said they’ll soon be putting up posters at businesses and around the area to make sure drivers are aware of the detours. The five-day closure is something drivers say will take some getting used to. “It will be inconvenient from what I’ve seen on the map that you showed me, but Rio Bravo has got a lot of traffic and needs improvement, so whatever they need to do, I would be supportive of,” said James Thompson, resident of Albuquerque.
“It’s just about looking for the alternatives to be able to access the exits and just wait for the project to finish. Have patience, what else?” said Javier Galdean, resident of Albuquerque.
The county is anticipating the shutdown will start on June 18 and last through June 22. Message boards will be installed to remind drivers in the two weeks leading up to it.
The $12 million intersection project is the last piece the county needs before New Mexico Department of Transportation takes over and starts the bridge replacement over the Rio Grande. That’s expected to start in the fall.
