ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Drivers are calling construction on a new roundabout in northeast Albuquerque a “major inconvenience.” As Titan Development works to build a 111-unit apartment complex on the corner of Ventura Street and Holly Avenue, they’ve partnered with the City of Albuquerque to build a roundabout.
The construction of the $750,000 roundabout has been happening since November 2022 in northeast Albuquerque off of Paseo del Norte. Drivers are growing impatient with how long the project has been taking.
One driver says, “I’m extremely upset, number one. Number two, I don’t understand who allowed this to be built because it looks like a fire hazard.” While some drivers are expressing their frustration, others are having to plan ahead. “I try to come early Saturday morning to avoid, I guess I kind of have been trying to avoid the traffic, but really, it’s just the area is growing and there’s a lot of people now. So even without the construction, there’s still a lot going on,” says an Albuquerque driver.
Some drivers fear this project will make the small stretch of road along Ventura Street even more burdensome to navigate. “I’d like to know who’s saying it’s okay to do this because I don’t understand the logic of it.”
An Albuquerque Department of Municipal Development spokesperson says the city has its focus on median landscape upgrades along Ventura Street from Palomas Avenue down to Freedom Way. However, due to the construction on the roundabout, the city has postponed working on the medians until April.
