Thousands of Sandoval County residents who struggle with unpaved roads that become impassable during storms could get relief from a $77.9 million state highway project that would create the first major north-south paved route west of Unser Boulevard.
The New Mexico Department of Transportation is finalizing plans to extend Paseo del Volcán seven miles from Rainbow Boulevard to Southern Boulevard, providing emergency vehicle access and reliable transportation for residents along the 20th Street corridor who currently depend on dirt roads.
“The purpose of the study is to evaluate traffic operations, intersection design, and safety concerns impacting motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians who use this important corridor,” NMDOT spokesperson Kim Gallegos said in a news release.
The project addresses a critical gap in Sandoval County’s transportation network, where 68% of Rio Rancho residents commute daily to Albuquerque for work, according to County Manager Wayne Johnson.
Public input gathered by NMDOT revealed residents’ frustrations with “problems crossing arroyos due to water flow, mud after storms and sand” along existing unpaved roads, according to the agency’s August 6 presentation.
The extension would improve emergency response by providing reliable access for police, fire and medical services, and create safe routes for school buses serving the area’s growing residential developments.
NMDOT’s recommended design includes a two-lane road with 8-foot shoulders and a separate 10-foot multi-use trail for bicycles and pedestrians, positioned about 50 feet east of the main roadway.
The project combines federal, state and local funding sources. NMDOT is working in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, while the state Legislature approved $1.5 million in capital outlay funds.
For a separate segment between Unser Boulevard and Rainbow Boulevard, Sandoval County commissioners approved a $5 million NMDOT grant in May to add to $7 million in existing county funds.
The current study is scheduled for completion this fall, with preliminary design beginning in winter 2025 and consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer finishing by early 2026.
Environmental studies found no special status plant or animal species in the corridor, though nine archaeological sites were discovered. Traffic noise analysis showed increases below federal standards requiring mitigation barriers.
The road extension connects to broader economic development efforts, including a $15 million federal RAISE grant for the I-40 TradePort Corridor that plans to connect Atrisco Vista Boulevard to Paseo del Volcán.
“Sixty-eight percent of Rio Rancho residents who are working leave and go to Albuquerque every day. This is the beginning of the way we reverse that, how we bring some of those jobs to the west side,” Johnson said.
Paseo del Volcán has been in planning for over 25 years, including in regional transportation plans since 2002 as a northwest bypass connecting Interstate 40 west of Albuquerque to U.S. Highway 550 in Rio Rancho.
NMDOT will review public comments through Aug. 31 and finalize recommendations this fall.