Interstate 40 West - Albuquerque

Advancing west from NM 556 (Tramway Boulevard), Interstate 40 meets Juan Tabo Boulevard at a diamond interchange (Exit 166).

04/24/17

The entrance ramp from NM 556 adds an auxiliary lane along I-40 westbound to Exit 166. Juan Tabo Boulevard (FL-4065) originates in the Juan Tabo Hills community south of Tijeras Canyon.

04/24/17

Heading north from parallel Central Avenue (Historic U.S. 66), Juan Tabo Boulevard expands into a principal arterial between the Sandia Vista and Manzano Manor neighborhoods.

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Exit 166 departs Interstate 40 west for Juan Tabo Boulevard (FL-4065). Juan Tabo Boulevard travels 7.63 miles overall northward to Eubank Boulevard (FL-4063) at Academy Hills Park.

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Eubank Boulevard (FL-4063) crosses Interstate 40 at the ensuing exit in one mile.

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A pedestrian bridge spans Interstate 40 at Morris and Tomasita Streets by Tomasita Elementary School. The diamond interchange (Exit 165) with Eubank Boulevard follows along westbound.

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An array of big box stores line the east side of Eubank Boulevard within the vicinity of Interstate 40. Los Altos Park and Golf Course spread west of the arterial route.

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Exit 165 leaves I-40 west for Eubank Boulevard south to Central Avenue and the South Los Altos neighborhood and Kirtland Air Force Base and north to the Indian Moon and North Albuquerque Acres communities.

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West from Eubank Boulevard, I-40 (Coronado Freeway) continues one mile to a diamond interchange (Exit 164) with Wyoming Boulevard.

04/24/17

An auxiliary lane opens westbound ahead of the Los Altos Park pedestrian bridge for Exit 164.

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Lomas Boulevard spans Interstate 40 a half mile east of Exit 164 en route to Wyoming Boulevard at the La Mesa neighborhood.

04/24/17

Reassurance sign posted beyond the Lomas Boulevard overpass. Forthcoming Louisiana Boulevard represents the main route to Kirtland A.F.B. via Exit 162.

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Wyoming Boulevard (FL-4061) extends north from the gate into Kirtland A.F.B. and the Trumbull Village neighborhood 8.40 miles to Alameda Boulevard at the Nor Este community beyond NM 423 (Paseo del Norte).

04/24/17

Exit 162 joins Interstate 40 west with Louisiana Boulevard at Uptown Albuquerque in one mile. A two-phase, $19 million project rebuilt the exchange with Louisiana Boulevard into SPUI. Previously scheduled to begin in 2003, but delayed due to a lawsuit from the adjacent Winrock Town Center retail complex, work at Exit 162 started in January 2004.^1,2

04/24/17

Five miles remain along westbound I-40 to the Big I interchange with Interstate 25 south to Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ).

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Pennsylvania Avenue crosses over Interstate 40 after this confirming marker by the Snow Heights neighborhood.

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Completed in mid-November 2004,² the project at Louisiana Boulevard also added a direct ramp from Winrock mall onto I-40 west, a bike path and a 120-space park and ride lot. The first SPUI built in New Mexico received a number of engineering awards in 2005.³

04/24/17

The SPUI at Exit 162 replaced a six-ramp parclo interchange that resulted in a weaving traffic pattern along Louisiana Boulevard northbound. Louisiana Boulevard (FL-4057) heads north through Uptown Albuquerque to Coronado Center mall and the Stardust Skies Park neighborhood.

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Continuing west by the Alvarado Park community, I-40 next meets San Mateo Boulevard (FL-5096).

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San Pedro Drive spans Interstate 40 after this shield assembly from Uptown Albuquerque south to South San Pedro.

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The Big I interchange with Interstate 25 lies 1.5 miles beyond Exit 161 to San Mateo Boulevard. San Mateo Boulevard (FL-5096) constitutes a principal arterial route 6.64 miles north from Gibson Boulevard and Parkland Hills to Interstate 25 at Osuna Road and Academy Acres North.

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The parclo interchange (Exit 161) with San Mateo Boulevard was redesigned as part of a $41 million reconstruction project along I-40 west to Carlisle Boulevard (Exit 160).^4,5

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Underway from Summer 2008 to November 2009, work at Exit 161 eliminated a loop ramp onto I-40 west, built new bridges for San Mateo Boulevard and removed the intersection of Cutler Avenue to accommodate a new westbound off-ramp.^4,5

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Exit 159D follows the exchange with Carlisle Boulevard to North Frontage Road for the Santa Barbara-Martineztown neighborhood north of Downtown Albuquerque.

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Westbound Interstate 40 expands to six lanes from San Mateo Boulevard to the diamond interchange (Exit 160) with Carlisle Boulevard.

04/24/17

A $12.5 million project rebuilt and widened the bridges taking Carlisle Boulevard across the Coronado Freeway and the adjacent Embudo Arroyo. Completed in October 1999, work also expanded ramps at Exit 160.⁶

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Carlisle Boulevard heads north from cargo areas of ABQ Airport through the Southeast Heights community to I-40 by the Altura and Summit Park neighborhoods. The arterial route extends to Montgomery Boulevard at the Hodgin neighborhood.

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Succeeding ramps depart Interstate 40 west for University Boulevard and Interstate 25 (Pan American Freeway). Costing $291 million, reconstruction of the Big I replaced a four-wye interchange designed for 40,000 vehicles a day. The original exchange opened to traffic in 1966.⁷

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Lane drops at the Big I interchange take place for Exit 159D to North Frontage Road and the high speed ramps (Exits 159C/B) for Interstate 25 over the ensuing half mile west of the North Diversion Channel.

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Exit 159D lowers onto North Frontage Road west at University Boulevard in Midtown Albuquerque. 2nd and 4th Street join Downtown with Interstate 40.

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Three lanes separate from I-40 west for Interstate 25 north to Santa Fe and Las Vegas and south to Truth or Consequences and Las Cruces.

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With a low bid of $221.8 million, the contract for the Big I project was awarded to Twin Mountain Construction II Company on February 7, 2000.⁸ Groundbreaking took place on June 30, 2000, with the state specifying a two year time table for completion.⁷

04/24/17

Paralleling the Rio Grande, Interstate 25 (Pan American Freeway) travels nearly the height of New Mexico. Through Albuquerque, I-25 joins Downtown with Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), South Valley, North Valley and Bernalillo in Sandoval County.

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The multi-level systems interchange connecting Interstate 40 with I-25 is over six times larger than its predecessor. The expanded capacity was necessary as 300,000 vehicles per day (vpd) traveled through the previous exchange by 2000.⁷

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Including the eight flyovers linking I-25/40, the Big I project built 45 new bridges and rehabilitated ten others. The frontage road system linking I-40 with University Boulevard and the street grid north of Downtown shifted local traffic from the mainline, which was also expanded to three lanes per direction.⁹

04/24/17

Ramps from I-25 merge onto westbound Interstate 40 ahead of the viaduct spanning Commercial, 1st and 2nd Streets NW and Exit 158 to the Near North Valley and Wells Park neighborhoods.

04/28/17

A split diamond interchange (Exit 158) joins Interstate 40 with 6th and 12th Streets NW.

04/28/17

I-40 (Coronado Freeway) makes a a pair of subtle S-curves as it progresses west toward Exit 159 with Rio Grande Boulevard (FL-5092).

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I-40 elevates again west from the 12th Street NW entrance ramp across Campbell Ditch by the Sawmill Area.

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Formerly State Road 194, Rio Grande Boulevard is a minor arterial measuring 7.52 mile in length from Central Avenue (Historic U.S. 66) at West Old Town to NM 528 (Alameda Boulevard) at Alameda North Valley.

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Entering the diamond interchange (Exit 157A) with Rio Grande Boulevard along Interstate 40 west at the Los Duranes neighborhood.

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