Phase two of Great Streets project on 12th Street marked

$3.5 million renovation completed near Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

Improvements to 12th Street between Interstate 40 and Menaul were celebrated by city officials and area and neighborhood representatives on Wednesday.

The group marked the completion of phase two of the 12th Street and Menaul Great Streets Improvements project.

The work included: roadway reconstruction, intersection, traffic signal, street lighting and landscaping improvements, bicycle lanes, wider sidewalks, storm drainage installation and modification, utility adjustments, and new bus stop locations and infrastructure, according to a City of Albuquerque news release.

The work took place in the area of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, which Mayor Richard Berry called “a beautiful reflection of Albuquerque and New Mexico’s rich culture and heritage.”

“By improving the area of 12th Street and Menaul for both drivers and pedestrians, we are making the center more accessible for all visitors while also beautifying the neighborhood,” Berry said in a statement.

This $3.5 million project took about 10 months, the city said. It was funded by general obligation bonds and 2016 gross receipt tax and ¼ cent tax monies. The design engineer was WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, in coordination with Morrow Reardon Wilkinson for landscaping. Albuquerque Asphalt did the construction.

“This project makes this important commercial, cultural and neighborhood corridor a safer and more pleasant place for driving, walking, biking, shopping and fun,” District 2 City Councilor Isaac Benton said.

Santa Clara Pueblo Gov. Michael Chavarria and representatives of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center also attended the completion event, which was held at the center.

The first phase was finished in 2012. It included the addition of a roundabout at Indian School and the Menaul Extension as well as landscaping and multimodal improvements.

The third phase will include Menaul Boulevard from the Menaul Extension to approximately Los Tomases Drive, 12th Street from south of Menaul Boulevard to La Poblana Road. A roundabout at the 12th Street and Menaul Boulevard intersection will be added along with roadway and landscaping improvements, the city said.