rb i25 ribcut

Looking northwest at I-25 and Rio Bravo. Construction on New Mexico’s first Offset Single Point Interchange began in August of 2017 The same view, in March, 2019. Eighty percent of the nearly $55 million project is funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The remaining funds come from the state. The same view, less than a month before July's ribbon cutting. The entire project should be finished on schedule in August and come in under budget. The ribbon cutting ceremony was held in the underpass to avoid the day's heat. State Senator Michael Padilla's photo is caught on a constituent's cell phone as he speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony. “This project is not only about improving travel now, but also for the future. With the continued growth in the area, the new interchange is built to handle both auto and truck traffic for decades to come.” Said Michael Sandoval Cabinet Secretary for NMDOT. “ Dignitaries cut the ribbon. NMDOT District Three PIO Kimberly Gallegos answers a news cameraman's questions after the ceremony. A NMDOT crew packs up after the ceremony. Looking northwest, at Rio Bravo and the I-25 southbound off ramp, early on during construction. Looking northwest, at Rio Bravo and the I-25 southbound off ramp on the day of the ribbon cutting.

rb i25 ribcut
Published: July 16, 2019  

Rio Bravo I-25 Interchange

Looking north along I-25 and the old Rio Bravo off and on ramps. Construction on a new I-25 /Rio Bravo interchange started in the fall of 2017. Traffic starts to get re-routed before construction begins. Looking west down Rio Bravo. Looking east along Rio Bravo. The old west bound lanes have been torn up. A box culvert underpass for northbound I-25 off ramp traffic to Rio Bravo under construction in early 2018. A new bridge for I-25 is being built over Rio Bravo. Debris from the old interchange is broken down and loaded up to be hauled away. Re-fueling a bulldozer. Northbound I-25, just north of Rio Bravo, gets a new look. A storm rolls in, fall of 2018, as detail work is done on a new wall along southbound I-25 near the interchange. Work continues on the box culvert. Final touches are done to the box culvert, late spring of 2019. Some painting to the wall has been done. The future northbound I-25 off ramp that leads to the box culvert, and Rio Bravo. A worker treats a wall near the box culvert as northbound I-25 traffic passes by, spring of 2019. Looking down on Rio Bravo median construction, just east of I-25, and traffic in the background moving along the new I-25 northbound on ramp. Overview looking north at the project and downtown Albuquerque in the distance, spring of 2019.

Rio Bravo I-25 Interchange
Published: May 9, 2019  

Best of 2018

Construction workers install a wall brace for a new underpass at the I-25 and Rio Bravo interchange project in Albuquerque. The entire project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2019. No description provided. A girder for a new bridge being built across the Rio Grande in Bernalillo is lowered into place. The Taos Gorge Bridge, as seen from a rest stop shelter on the west side of the Rio Grande river. NMDOT materials lab workers take some cement to run tests on and make sure it is up to spec. A NMDOT maintainer, out of District Five, picks up trash along I-25 near Santa Fe. A truck passes by part of the Ute Park fire burn scar along part of US 64 near Eagle Nest. Touch up work is done on a wall barrier at the I-25 and Rio Bravo interchange project as a storm rolls in. Chunks of concrete are removed as work goes on all around the I-25 and Rio Bravo interchange project. NMDOT Cabinet Secretary Tom Church is applauded by members of the State Transportation Commission, and others, after making his final presentation as secretary. Church is retiring after 25 years with the department.

Best of 2018
Published: December 27, 2018  

move over signage

A New Mexico Department of Transportation highway maintainer adjusts wrapping that's covering a sign which is waiting to be unveiled, along I-25, just north of Bernalillo, NM Some NMDOT workers stand behind a Highway Emergency Local Patrol truck along the shoulder of I-25. Workers' shadows fall along the highway shoulder. A long line of vehicles, including a department pick-up truck, are parked along the highway shoulder. People watch as a new "Move Over" sign is unveiled. New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez signed into law Senate Bill 76 which requires drivers approaching stationary emergency vehicles, tow trucks, or NMDOT help trucks and equipment to slow down and get out of the lane next to the stopped vehicle if they can do so safely. A HELP truck and tow truck pull out onto the highway after the unveiling. The new sign, one of 46 around the state, stands along southbound I-25 at mile marker 244.8, just north of Bernalillo. Those caught not following this state law could be fined $111.

move over signage
Published: November 14, 2017  

zero proof

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez announces the ZeroProof mission that is geared towards bringing awareness about the dangers of underage drinking, during a press conference at the Boys and Girls Club of Albuquerque, Tuesday, October 31, 2017. ZeroProof encourages kids to think more about how they want to be and how they see themselves in the world. The ZeroProof ZeroScape mobile app is about bringing awareness to the dangers of underage drinking by engaging kids on their own turf: using selfies on their phones in a unique way that is entertaining and shows who they are, their interests, and alternatives to drinking. Underage drinking in New Mexico is a huge problem. According to the Prevention Research Center. The costs related to underage drinking in 2013 was $500 million. Underage drinking can cause serious problems such as youth violence, suicide, traffic crashes, property damage, alcohol poisoning, and fetal alcohol syndrome. The governor visits with two members of the Boys and Girls Club after her speech. Looking on is Children, Youth and Families Department Secretary Monique Jacobson, right. A boy receives some tattoos, along with other items, after the governor's press conference. zeroproof.me is a website for tweens and teens that is a places for resources, interactive stories and puzzles, advice, and downloads. The zeroproofnm.com website provides ways for parents and teachers to empower their children and students to help facilitate them in making good choices about alcohol.

zero proof
Published: November 3, 2017  

Cinco de Mayo Weekend DWI Crackdown

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez announces that law enforcement forces across the state would be out to crack down on drunk driving over the Cinco de Mayo weekend. New Mexico State Police cadets listen attentively to the governor. So far in 2017, there have been more than 3,650 DWI arrests in New Mexico – with more than 40 DWI-related fatalities. A segment of a DWI spot is shown to the audience. The spot follows the arrest, booking, going before the judge and bonding out of a drunk driver; it's broken up into several segments which started airing in early 2017. State Police Chief Pete Kassetas said that law enforcement officers all over the state are on the lookout for drunk drivers and that they're going to make sure justice is served to the fullest extent of the law. Cadets file out of the auditorium and past displays showing booking mug shots of people arrested for DWI. Posters show each portion that makes up the arrest, booking, jail time, going before the judge and bonding out process a person stopped for DWI goes through. The segments are part of DWI spots that have been airing recently.

Cinco de Mayo Weekend DWI Crackdown
Published: May 9, 2017  

Legislative Proposals to Enact Tougher DWI Penalties

Displays are prepared for the press conference at the Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque. NMDOT Secretary Tom Church kicks off the press conference where Governor Susana Martinez, middle rear, announced legislative proposals to enact tougher DWI penalties. Gov. Martinez announces a series of legislative proposals to enact tougher DWI penalties and give police officers the tools they need to get drunk drivers off the road. Gov. Martinez is interviewed after the press conference. Hands hold digital recorders, microphones and gesture for emphasis during an interview.

Legislative Proposals to Enact Tougher DWI Penalties
Published: January 5, 2017  

NM 47 in Peralta

Looking north along NM 47. The nearly two mile long project included new pavement, an additional center turn lane, curbs and gutter with sidewalks and a drainage system. Peralta, NM; Mayor Bryan Olguin touts the finished NM Highway 47 roadway reconstruction project that runs through the village. Congestion has been eased, and safety enhanced because of the reconstruction of the highway. Rep. Kelly Fajardo is all smiles as she listens to speakers at the ribbon cutting for NM 47. Rep. Alonzo Baldonado speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony. Scissors are passed around as NMDOT Sec. Tom Church, second from left, and Mayor Bryan Olguin, along with others, get set to cut the ribbon. Traffic travels down NM 47, past a church marquee with a message on it about the reconstructed highway.

NM 47 in Peralta
Published: November 30, 2016  

Diverging Diamond is Completed

New Mexico Department of Transportation works deal with windy conditions as they wait for the completion ceremony of the first-ever Diverging Diamond Interchange in New Mexico. The new interchange is at I-25 and Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe and was completed on time and on budget. Traffic moves north, along Cerrillos Rd., and through the diverging diamond. New Mexico Lt. Governor John Sanchez goes over his notes prior to the ceremony. NMDOT Deputy Sec. Anthony Lujan applauds after one of the speeches during the ceremony. Looking north along I-25 and a bridge that spans Cerrillos Rd. Federal Highway Administration Division Administrator Don Martinez makes some comments. NMDOT Secretary Tom Church talks with the media after the ceremony. The state-of-the-art design will improve safety and efficiency, reduce traffic congestion, and provide longer merging lanes for getting on and off the Interstate. This type of interchange also reduced the length and cost of construction. In addition, it includes a multi-use trail that will make travel safer for pedestrians and bicyclists through the area. A local reporter films a story for a later news broadcast. The construction project required that five bridges be removed, two new bridges built, and eight ramps be realigned to create the new Diverging Diamond Interchange.

Diverging Diamond is Completed
Published: November 2, 2016  

BCSO gets a BAT Mobile from NMDOT

The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office's newest acquisition - a mobile DWI unit - rolls into downtown Albuquerque, NM. A BCSO deputy guides the mobile DWI unit into place on Civic Plaza in Albuquerque. The unit was provided to the BCSO by the New Mexico Department of Transportation. BCSO Lt. Sam White, left, shows Sheriff Manuel Gonzales the DWI unit's closed circuit TV. The mobile DWI unit is 40 feet long and holds two breath test stations, a bathroom, a booking station and a drunk tank that can hold 10 DWI offenders. The local media came out to cover the ceremony in downtown Albuquerque. New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez speaks during the ceremony. Gov. Martinez said she is grateful for the officers who are out on the road every day, protecting us from drunk drivers. Gov. Martinez hands over the keys to the mobile DWI unit to BCSO Sheriff Manuel Gonzales. Looking on is NMDOT Secretary Tom Church, left. BCSO Lt. Sam White gives Gov. Martinez a tour of the mobile DWI unit. Bernalillo County has the highest rate of alcohol related traffic fatalities in the state. So far this year, there have been more than 30 alcohol related traffic fatalities in Bernalillo County.

BCSO gets a BAT Mobile from NMDOT
Published: November 1, 2016  

dntxt_while_driving

New Mexico Department of Transportation Secretary Tom Church, second right, arrives at a press conference, in Albuquerque, NM; where the NMDOT unveiled the latest powerful TV ad to fight texting while driving. Sec. Church says that when it comes to texting and driving simply put down your phone and keep your eyes on the road. If it can’t wait, pull over to the side of the road. Find a parking lot. Wait five minutes to get home. It’s never worth the risk. Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales watches the TV spot that features a mother and her two sons traveling to and from soccer practice. Throughout the ad, the mom texts and drives, swerving in and out of the lanes until she crashes into a truck head on. NM Department of Public Safety Chief Pete Kassetas talks about taking the pledge to not text while driving. Summer Whistle, Mrs. New Mexico 2016, speaks at the press conference. She lost her father to a distracted driver in 2015. Michelle Hicks becomes emotional as she tells about the tragic accident involving a distracted driver that took her husband Jerry's life in August 2016. Michelle Hicks stands between her daughters, Alicia, 14, left; and Abrianna, 17, as they're interviewed by local media after the press conference.

dntxt_while_driving
Published: October 12, 2016  

Diverging Diamond Interchange

Work continues on the Diverging Diamond Interchange, south of Santa Fe. The DDI is a new traffic and roadway configuration designed to make the I-25 / NM 14 (Cerrillos Road) interchange safer, easier and quicker for New Mexico drivers. Workers smooth out asphalt. Looking east as two off ramps are worked on. A worker watches as an excavator tamps down dirt under an overpass. A bulldozer dumps dirt as workers watch. Framed by re-bar, a surveyor checks coordinates. Construction equipment drives up an off ramp. Sunflowers rise up in front of a camera focused on I-25. A multi-user path winds up to a tunnel which runs under I-25.

Diverging Diamond Interchange
Published: September 15, 2016  

100 Days and Nights of Summer

Items to be given away, with the ENDWI logo, are put out on a table, prior to the start of the100 Days and Nights of Summer safety campaign press conference in Albuquerque, NM. New Mexico Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Loren Hatch kicks-off the press conference, held at the New Mexico State Police District Five office in Albuquerque. New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez addresses the media at the press conference where she talked about when she was a career prosecutor, and now as governor, witnessing the heartbreaking consequences that DWI has on families. So far this year, 174 people have been killed in traffic crashes in New Mexico – 58 of them alcohol-related. A row of State Police officers stand behind the governor as she speaks. 100 Days and Nights of Summer is a coordinated statewide law enforcement effort that puts more police officers on the roads to target DWI, texting behind the wheel, not buckling up, and other dangerous driving. It runs until the end of September, 2016. State Police Chief Pete Kassetas addresses the media. During last year’s campaign, New Mexico law enforcement officers made 82 DWI arrests, issued 1,640 seat belt citations, 1,381 child restraint citations, 12,305 speeding citations, 867 cell phone citations and made 46 felony arrests. Gov. Martinez has repeatedly fought for tougher DWI penalties. Just this year, she signed legislation that cracks down on the worst repeat DWI offenders and increases penalties for drunk drivers who kill.

100 Days and Nights of Summer
Published: June 29, 2016