Los Lunas prepares major intersection overhaul

November 23, 2009

The Village of Los Lunas is preparing for a major overhaul to the intersection of Main Street and Highway 314, which is guaranteed to slow down traffic but also provide congestion relief once the reconstruction is completed.

The village has been working to improve several key intersections, recently completing improvements to where Carson Drive, Highway 47 and Los Lentes Road cross Main Street, in some cases adding new turning lanes.

“The one they did at Main and Los Lentes is extremely good,” said Mayor Robert Vialpando. “It’s made things a lot safer right there, just from my own personal experience.”

The work at Main Street and Highway 314 will also add turning lanes and reconfigure the railroad crossing that’s immediately east of the intersection. The crossing will get widened to the north to add a westbound to northbound turning lane.

The work will be done by TLC Plumbing & Utilities. The project will cost more than $692,000 and will commence within 60 days, depending on a guarantee of funding.

“We’re doing this contingent upon the funding remaining in place, knowing what’s going on with the state trying to take back funds that haven’t been used up to this point,” said Betty Behrend, the head of the village’s utilities department.

For the past three weeks Behrend has been filling out paperwork from the state trying to justify why the village should keep funding previously awarded for projects but not yet spent.

“I no sooner get one spreadsheet out the door when another one comes in,” she said.

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