ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Drivers crossing the bridge at Central near Tingley will need to get ready for lane closures. The city is doing some much-needed repairs along the Rio Grande bridge on the Central.
Traffic on the already busy corridor has been reduced down to one on the eastbound lanes as crews make the necessary repairs, but all the construction already has some drivers growing impatient. ”The construction here it’s just, it’s kind of silly they don’t warn us beforehand to see what is going on,” said Albuquerque driver George Robles.
According to an Albuquerque Department of Municipal Development spokesperson, the repairs along the overpass are to replace bridge joints. The project began Wednesday but since then, some drivers say while they understand the work is necessary, they feel obligated to wait in bumper-to-bumper traffic. “It’s frustrating, there’s no alternative, there’s a route that we can take. I can’t take that we can say that I am going to take Central since Bridge is being worked on and I can’t say I’m going to take Bridge since Central is being worked on,” added Robles.
During Friday’s afternoon commute, traffic began backing up from Atrisco up towards Tingley as cars heading eastbound bottlenecked into one lane of traffic. “It depends, it could add anywhere from 20 minutes, depending on how far you’re going up the street to 45 minutes to an hour. Not to mention the fact that you have to deal with every other driver here because of staying here for 45 minutes when it should only take you five minutes to get home,” said Robles.
As for detours, a city spokesperson says the current closures are meant to offset rush hour traffic from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., trying to avoid closing lanes in the middle of morning rush hour. The city says the project is expected to last through the middle of next month and cost an expected $350,000. The lane closures will at one point affect every lane including the ART. The city suggests drivers use alternative routes such as I-40 or Bridge Blvd through the middle of July until the project is complete.
The city says it is still considering making the bridge a historical landmark. A spokesperson for the Department of Municipal Development says at this time, there are no plans to replace the bridge built in 1983, saying bridges typically have a life span between 50 and 100 years.
