ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – As monsoon season kicks off strong, New Mexico Department of Transportation crews are patrolling for problem areas including where a portion of I-40 washed out last summer. It’s been an intense start to the monsoon season. As roads, ditches, and underpasses filled with water over the weekend in the metro, NMDOT crews went out looking for problem spots.
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“They ran into some mud and heavy just slide out from the side of Mountain and I-25 on the southbound frontage road,” said NMDOT spokesperson Kimberly Gallegos.
That slide-out made deep divots on the hill covering the frontage road with debris. “They immediately mobilized the equipment out there. We shut down the lanes and they were out there for a couple hours trying to get all of that mud out of the roadway,” said Gallegos.
Wednesday, the area is mostly clear but with more rain on the way, Gallegos says the work isn’t done yet. “There’s a plan to go out early next week and do a little bit of backfilling and compaction with other material in that area,” said Gallegos.
Another area of concern can still be seen off I-40 between Coors and Unser where water took out the ground under a fence just feet from the interstate. “We’re just going to be diligent about being out there and watching for these areas and all areas in our roadways,” said Gallegos.
NMDOT is hoping to avoid a problem like last summer when flood waters filled a channel on I-40, smacking concrete into the San Pedro Bridge pillar and blew out an underlying roadbed.
Gallegos says crews are closely watching that area, the first true test of their work. “It looks to be holding well. The repairs are doing good. I think the recent rains have proven that the repair has held,” said Gallegos.
DOT didn’t know about the erosion on I-40 near Coors until Wednesday. Officials say a crew is going out to repair it as soon as possible.
