No additional interchange coming to Belen

June 03, 2009

The Valencia County News-Bulletin reported today that the City of Belen included funding for “an additional interchange along Interstate 25″ in its 2009-2010 budget.

The newspaper got it wrong. There’s no “additional interchange” coming to Belen, Mayor Ronnie Torres told Valencia!

Money included in the budget for an interchange is strictly for improvements to the existing North Belen interchange, which the city has long said will be upgraded to allow access to the west side of Interstate 25, where the Rancho Cielo housing, commercial and industrial development will be located.

The Rancho Cielo developer, Coast Range Investments, has sought a new interchange at Miller Road, which has had residents of Los Chavez concerned about its impact on their agricultural community. Los Chavez residents have fought interchange proposals that would place any new interchange along its western border with I-25.

The Valencia County News-Bulletin’s error is no indication that the Miller Road interchange project has any traction independent of an ongoing study coordinated by the Mid-Region Council of Governments.

Any new I-25 interchange coming to Valencia County in the near future will result from that study, which is expected to recommend a new interchange for the Los Lunas area, possibly at Miller Road.

The study’s citizens advisory committee held its first meeting this week.

Posted in: Budget Infrastructure