Road plan touts thousands of jobs

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - President Obama's recovery plan to use taxpayer money to kick start the economy may pave the way for a boost in highway construction and employment in New Mexico starting as early as March.

"We've had to do tremendous layoffs not only in the city of Albuquerque but throughout the whole state," D'Auna Wood of F&F Construction said.

Wood said she had to let go a quarter of her construction company's staff in the last year.

She cited the economy. In addition to that, The Associated General Contractors of New Mexico pointed to the shortfall in GRIP, Governor Richardson's Investment Program, when the state couldn't find $600 million to pay for road projects already on the drawing boards..

"In New Mexico specifically we have lost upwards to 4,000 construction jobs," Mike Gibson of AGC said. "Those jobs pay anywhere from $15 to $50 an hour."

Wood described the state of the industry in New Mexico with one word: "Flat."

But maybe not for long.

The state just sent Congress a 29-project wish list totaling $628 million to be spent across the state.

Those projects range from improving Interstate 25 from Tramway Road to Bernalillo. for $70 million to reworking U. S. Highway 64 from Raton to Clayton for $45 million and even fixing up Interstate 10 from the I-25 interchange south of Las Cruces to the Texas state line for $50 million.

"We think that it's not only going to bring those 4,000 jobs back but it's going to add an additional 4-8,000 jobs depending on how many of these projects are going to be let in the first 120 to 150 days," Gibson said

And because the money will come with a timeline to use it and New Mexico has stalled projects planned and ready to go.

"The negative of being in the hole with grip projects in the past is turning into a net positive given this package? Michael

"No doubt about it," Gibson said. "In fact it's been a blessing in disguise."

Wood said she's excited about the possibility of passing that blessing on to those workers she had to let go.

The AGC said it believes that with the exception of a few tweaks the bill before congress is a done deal with the money likely to flow in March.

The projects approved by the New Mexico State Transportation Commission are:
 

NMDOT District 1

• I-10, from the I-25 Interchange to Texas State Line; $50 million; Target bid date May 2009
• I-10, NM 404 Interchange Improvements; $7.04 million; Target bid date May 2009
• NM 11, Columbus to Deming; $3.5 million; Target bid date May 2009

NMDOT District 2

• NM 128, MP 22-38.5; $22 million; Target bid date March 2009
• US 62/180, MP 6-26; $28 million; Target bid date March 2009
• US 380, Priest Gulch Bridge; $2.3 million; Target bid date Sept. 2009
• US 54, Tularosa to Vaughn MP 163-175; $27.5 million; Target bid date May 2009
• US 54, Tularosa to Vaughn, MP 85-96; $22 million; Target bid date Jun 2009
• US 62/180 MP 16-26 Southbound; $20 million; Target bid date March 2009

NMDOT District 3

• I-40 Paseo del Volcan/West Central Interchange MP 150-151; $34 million March 2009
• I-25 Tramway to Bernalillo; $70 million; Target bid date April 2009

NMDOT District 4

• US 64 Raton to Clayton MP 378-390; $30 million; Target bid date April 2009
• US 64 Raton to Clayton, Wetland Mitigation; $250,000; Target bid date March 2009
• US 64 Raton to Clayton MP 360-378; $45 million; Target bid date Aug. 2009

NMDOT District 5

• US 84/285 MP 187 to MP 189; $12 million; Target bid date Feb. 2009
• US 84/285 MP 186-188; $23 million; Target bid date Feb. 2009
• US 84/285 MP 183 to MP 185; $20 million; Target bid date April 2009
• US 84/285 Pojoaque Pueblo Interchange; $10 million; Target bid date April 2009
• US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 67-75; $30 million; Target bid date May 2009
• US 64, MP 141-148.7 $24.2 million; Target bid date Feb. 2009
   

NMDOT District 6

• US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 15-75 Southbound; $13 million; Target bid date Feb. 2009
• US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 59-67; $19 million; Target bid date June 2009
• US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 53-59; $19.5 million; Target bid date June 2009
• US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 45-53; $15 million; Target bid date July 2009
• US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 37-45; $22.6 million; Target bid date Jan. 2010
• US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 31-37; $17.7 million; Target bid date Jan. 2010
• US 491 Tohatchi to Shiprock MP 20-31 Northbound; $31.7 million; Target bid date Jan. 2010
• US 491 Navajo 9 to Tohatchi MP 15-20; $7.4 million; No target bid date set
• US 491 Navajo 9 to Tohatchi New Bridge MP 17; $1.4 million; No target bid date set