ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A dangerous stretch of Coors is finally getting a facelift; people in the area said it is desperately needed.
“There’s so many accidents in this area. It’s unbelievable,” one woman we spoke to said.
It’s an area that has had crash after crash.
“It’s one of the most pedestrian fatalities and a lot of vehicle crashes that are along that corridor,” said Brian Lopez, the Technical Services Director for Bernalillo County.
Changes are finally coming to the stretch of Coors from Blake to Gun Club. According to a study commissioned by NMDOT, the area had 685 crashes from 2015 to 2019. Those included 8 fatalities, a mix of pedestrians hit, and others killed in cars. The county, the city, and the state are working to make the stretch safer.
“The benefit to the community is currently a lot of the countermeasures that are used for safety just don’t exist along that corridor,” said Lopez.
At Tuesday’s county commission meeting, commissioners approved $7 million for the project. Around $6.3 million of the funds is coming from the Federal Highway Administration, the rest of the bill is being split by the county and the city.
It is desperately needed, according to residents, including one woman who spoke to us off-camera.
“A motorcycle accident here. I recorded it all, actually, but he was hit turning here. It was a big accident.”
The planned improvements include protected bike lanes, sidewalks, raised medians, more lighting, and the possibility of reduced speed limits. Construction is expected to start within the next year.
Community members are thrilled.
“That’s good that they’re bringing money into the area. This road needs an overhaul big time.”
Another way the county is looking to combat speeding in the corridor and the rest of the county is with speed cameras, similar to the ones the city has rolled out. The county is set to take up the idea later this summer.
