Quick Reads

Bill to rename road as I-27 passes Senate

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Federal legislation aiming to rename the Ports-to-Plains Corridor as I-27 passed the U.S. Senate Thursday. New Mexico Senators. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, both Democrats,and Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, both Republicans, sponsored the I-27 Numbering Act of 2023 which now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives. The Ports-to-Plains Corridor, or I-27, is expected to run from Laredo, Texas, to Raton, New Mexico. “The Ports-to-Plains Alliance is very appreciative of the ongoing support by Senator Ted Cruz for the Future Interstate Highway in Texas and New Mexico,” Ports-to-Plains Alliance President/CEO Lauren Garduño said in a press release.

Health

New Mexico getting about $7 billion from federal Investing in America push

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New Mexico is expected to receive more than $7 billion for infrastructure projects that fit with President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda. These projects include infrastructure funding for various road and highway projects, making communities more resilient to climate change and clean water access statewide and private investments including those for manufacturing superconductors, producing clean energy and biomanufacturing. In New Mexico, Invest in America has dedicated $4 billion for semiconductors and electronics, $344 million for clean energy projects, $100 million for biomanufacturing, $1.3 billion for transportation investments such as roads, bridges, public transit, ports and airports, $891.3 million for provide clean water and to improve water infrastructure statewide including $57 million for lead pipe and service line replacement and $265.4 million to help “make our communities more resilient to climate change,” the website states. These projects can be viewed on invest.gov which was launched on Tuesday. The site features an interactive map noting what and where projects are located.

Roads

State ‘only got about half’ of money needed to fix roads

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A quarter of New Mexico’s roads are in bad condition according to a new report from a Washington D.C. nonprofit. And ripped up pavement and bumpy roads aren’t just an inconvenience, they’re also costly to car owners in the state. On average, bad roads, traffic congestion and poor traffic safety conditions cost Albuquerque drivers more than $1,800 each year, according to the report by the transportation policy research group TRIP. Released last week, TRIP’s “New Mexico Transportation By the Numbers” report is based on publicly available data from sources like the American Automobile Association, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration. Albuquerque’s roads are the worst for any city in the state, according to the report, with 34 percent of them in poor condition.

Roads

Bad roads costing Albuquerque drivers, report finds

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Failing roads in Albuquerque can cost drivers up to $669 in extra vehicle repair and maintenance expense each year. That’s according to a report from TRIP, a transportation research group. Carolyn Kelly, associate director of research and communications with TRIP, says the report also shows that 32 percent of urban roadways in Albuquerque are in poor condition. She says tire damage from potholes, glass damage from rocks and extra fuel expense from congestion are major problems with a far-reaching economic impact. “Oftentimes when companies are looking to either expand or relocate,” she says.