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[DJStephens]

New Mexico DOT is asking for almost 900 million in additional funding. Hopefully they get it and fund much needed projects.

https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/department-of-transportation-asks-for-additional-889-million-on-budget/

Two projects at the top of my list that should be prioritized: the I-25/Montgomery interchange reconstruction, and straightening out the dreaded S-curve on I-25 through downtown Albuquerque.

Is that APS warehouse building still in the SE quadrant of that "S" curve?  The one they put that "mural" on?  Cannot for the life of me understand why it is so hard to comprehend that that facility has to be moved.   

[abqtraveler]

New Mexico DOT is asking for almost 900 million in additional funding. Hopefully they get it and fund much needed projects.

https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/department-of-transportation-asks-for-additional-889-million-on-budget/

Two projects at the top of my list that should be prioritized: the I-25/Montgomery interchange reconstruction, and straightening out the dreaded S-curve on I-25 through downtown Albuquerque.

Is that APS warehouse building still in the SE quadrant of that "S" curve?  The one they put that "mural" on?  Cannot for the life of me understand why it is so hard to comprehend that that facility has to be moved.

It's still there, and most (if not all) of the land to the east of I-25 between the APS Warehouse and Gibson is owned by UNM. There's also the South Diversion Channel that runs adjacent and to the east of the freeway through that area. Finally, at the I-25/Gibson interchange, there are two cemeteries that butt up against the ramps in the northeast and southwest quadrants, that would make expansion of that interchange very difficult.

[DJStephens]

Believe those are indigent or what used to be known a "pauper" cemeteries.  There is precedent for exhumation and relocation.   Both could be combined into a single location E of the roadway.   Obviously respect for the dead, has be considered here, in any relocation.   

[jtespi]

There have now been three "cheapie" flush median jobs done statewide.  US 550/NM 44, with it's horrific safety record, US 70/380 Hondo Valley, and US 82 E of Artesia.  All are less than optimum, some (US 550/NM 44) are significantly worse.  But yes, a divided four lane, with a minimum sixty foot median, would be the best long term outcome, for US 54.  Personally don't believe it will ever happen.     

I was driving US-550 between San Ysidro and Bernalillo on Easter weekend and man that stretch of roadway is scary. You are only 1.5 meters (5 feet) from a head-on collision with just two sets of rumble strips and double yellow lines "protecting" you. It feels almost as dangerous as passing on a two-lane road to be in the left (inner) lane with traffic whizzing by at ~75 MPH.

They need to install a concrete barrier along most of that stretch, especially in areas where there's no need to maintain access to intersecting roads. Unfortunately, I don't think the state will do anything to put a barrier unless/until there's a major (fatal) crash along that stretch of highway.

Also, this intersection with NW Loop Rd in the north part of Rio Rancho is very scary, especially at night or during times of high traffic volume. There's a major accident waiting to happen since left turns from NW Loop to NB 550 are allowed and the speed limit is still 70 MPH at that part (at least for SB 550).

We know New Mexico tends to ignore long distance concurrencies on interstates.  I find it interesting when I find references to the concurrencies on the intersecting highways.

What's even more bizarre about that signage at that interchange is that it only mentions US-70 west NOT I-10 west. Even Google Maps is confused and labels I-10 as "US-70" in the Street View name. But near that previous Street View location, you can see they replaced the earlier US-70 shield (that was mistakenly on a 3-digit sized US-highway shield) to a green sign with only the US-70 shield, completely omitting I-10.

NMDOT's new website just went live. The URL is https://www.dot.nm.gov/

NMDOT still hasn't updated at least its main posted route log since 2010. I just use NMDOT's online Roadway Functional Class map to get the latest, though the "latest" may be a few years old.

You should see the trouble I'm having trying to get Google Maps to get rid of the NM-342 designation along Lohman and Amador Avenues in Las Cruces. I sent them links to the state's latest route log PDF document and Google still refuses to remove the 342 designation. That road hasn't been designated or signed as NM-342 in Las Cruces in over 20 years and yet Google still thinks NM-342 exists. It's absolutely maddening that the old Google Map Maker program no longer exists, because I'd probably have more luck trying to correct it when GMM existed.

[DJStephens]

I was driving US-550 between San Ysidro and Bernalillo on Easter weekend and man that stretch of roadway is scary. You are only 1.5 meters (5 feet) from a head-on collision with just two sets of rumble strips and double yellow lines "protecting" you. It feels almost as dangerous as passing on a two-lane road to be in the left (inner) lane with traffic whizzing by at ~75 MPH.They need to install a concrete barrier along most of that stretch, especially in areas where there's no need to maintain access to intersecting roads. Unfortunately, I don't think the state will do anything to put a barrier unless/until there's a major (fatal) crash along that stretch of highway.
Also, this intersection with NW Loop Rd in the north part of Rio Rancho is very scary, especially at night or during times of high traffic volume. There's a major accident waiting to happen since left turns from NW Loop to NB 550 are allowed and the speed limit is still 70 MPH at that part (at least for SB 550).

That NM - 44 / US - 550 adbomination was the single worst project of the gary johnson administration, and there were a lot of public works eggs laid during that governor's tenure.   Design - it's at the bottom of the barrel here, and seemingly new ways to go even lower are found.
As for fatalities, suspect there has been at least two dozen, on that stretch of road in twenty years, possibly more.  Nearly all could have been prevented, had there been proper design applied - mainly a depressed grassed median of at least 60 feet, full shoulders, and 85 MPH design speed, with appropriate horizontal and vertical curvature corrections.