Paseo del Norte/I-25 interchange finished

[FreewayDan]

The new ramps at NM 423 (Paseo del Norte) and I-25 interchange are set to open Tuesday:
http://krqe.com/2014/12/15/city-to-hold-grand-opening-for-paseo-i-25-interchange/

[NE2]

Looks like freeway-to-freeway ramps from I-25 north to NM 423 west and NM 423 east to I-25 south. The new bridge at Jefferson makes NM 423 a full freeway to I-25 (if you accept the railroad spur crossing).

[sandiaman]

The Paseo/ I-25  flyover did indeed open yesterday, December 16,2014  and  saves a lot of time from Albuquerque  proper  to the fast growing suburbs  west of the Rio Grande.  It is an odd combination of freeway  access  and conventional left turn lanes westbound Paseo  to southbound I -25, but it was  built   under the deadline  and has a  beautiful design  on the flyover.

[The High Plains Traveler]

That means no more need to stay out of the right lane on NB I-25 to avoid the backup onto the freeway from the signal at the top of the old offramp.

[triplemultiplex]

Good news.  That was something to avoid during certain times of day.

[DJStephens]

Years overdue.  That Paseo corridor could have been built as part of a much needed Albuquerque loop, if it had been planned and carried out to fruition in the mid 1970's.  Massive growth (for NM) on the north side and in Rio Rancho make it too close in today, a long range plan to construct an outer western beltway (Paseo Volcan) from the Isleta Pueblo area south of Albu. to Bernalillo would be far more practical and useful today. 

Small segments of Tramway (bridges over the N/S railroad and Edith Blvd) and the original Coors Blvd/I-40 interchange (1961, replaced early 2000's) seemed to hint at possible pieces of a loop that never got underway. 

The Albuquerque Journal ran a piece years ago about the DOT selling land near the I-25 / Paseo interchange, then buying it back years later at inflated prices.  Typical.   It does appear that they did modify the original plan, which was to have left exits from the Paseo mainlines @ Jefferson Road, which would have created a nightmare of weaving.   the Paseo/2nd St. interchange (mid/late 1980's) located further west is one of the worst interchanges I have ever seen, anywhere, with its left exits, partial single point interchange, and skewed out mainlines.   

The video link shows that Jefferson bound traffic has to exit along with the eastbound Paseo traffic and then turn left at the original NB off ramp light in order to access Jefferson to the immediate west.   Would have had this new NB to WB ramp come in on the R side of pre - existing WB Paseo traffic though, instead of cheaping out and coming in on the L side of WB traffic.   That was a design error present on the 1966 original Big "I" interchange of I-25 / I -40.   

Will give the agency credit for the aesthetics on the concrete barrier rail, and for not changing sign fonts away from the standard gothic.