ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Plans are underway to give a stretch of Coors Boulevard a major makeover. The two-mile corridor is a hotspot for speeders and crashes.
Larry Gallegos, a spokesperson for Bernalillo County, said the area of Coors between Blake Road and Gun Club Road in South Valley is underdeveloped and in desperate need of improvements.
“This stretch has had a lot of accidents and a number of fatalities. We want to make these changes for drivers to be able to slow down that is always going to help curb some of the accidents just by people driving at a slower rate,” said Gallegos.
Reinforcing Gallegos’ statement, KRQE News 13 cameras captured the aftermath of a crash at Coors and Rio Bravo Boulevard on the morning of Mar. 1.
The crash is a perfect example of what Gallegos said the nearly $8 million project is geared toward.
He said they’re looking at reducing lane widths, adding more lighting and sidewalks, raising the medians, and lowering the speed limit. Along the two-mile stretch of Coors, the speed limit jumps up by 10 miles per hour – from 45 mph to 55 mph as drivers head further south.
Some drivers said it’s a problem that keeps getting worse.
“Speeding is a problem. There is a lot of young people in this area that drive fast and a lot of people run the lights, or they cut people off. I have to avoid this area,” said Albuquerque driver, Mireya Martinez.
Gallegos explained they’re still in the planning phase, so a date for construction has not yet been set. However, the federal government is pitching in $6.3 million toward the project. The rest of the funds will have to come from the county and the state.
