ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It has been on the state’s radar for nearly a decade as one of the metro’s busiest and most dangerous spots on I-25. Now, the NMDOT is taking another look at the notorious Albuquerque “S-Curve,” trying to figure out how they can make it safer. The freeway between Avenida Cesar Chavez and Lomas Boulevard is known as the “S-Curve,” where high speeds and tight lane configurations make for tough driving.
“It is a very heavily traveled area. We are aware of delays and impacts that occur during rush hour,” says Kimberly Gallegos, an NMDOT Public Information Officer. “That area is very windy, and if there’s a lot of heavy traffic coming through, for instance, during rush hour, it does seem to back up on that stretch of the S-Curve. Because of that, it’s a very high safety priority for DOT,” says Gallegos.
The NMDOT says it is now launching a new study aimed at reducing crashes and backups caused by the curve. They say this section has not been altered much since it was first built in the 1960s. It is also densely surrounded by hospitals and the South Broadway neighborhood.
Neighbors say they agree it could use some changes. “It’s not meeting the needs for traffic flow, especially when there’s an Isotopes game or the Lobos play; it backs up along I-25,” says Bianca Starr, a resident near Avenida Cesar Chavez.
With surrounding neighborhoods, the NMDOT will host a public meeting next month to hear out residents. They say it will be the first of many. “We’re not looking to come in and change everything; we just want to make it more enhanced and get people through there safer and more quickly,” says Gallegos.
The public meeting on the “S-Curve” is scheduled for November 15 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. The NMDOT will study the area through the end of 2025.
