Another lane on the way for busy stretch of southbound I-25
I-25 GETTING WIDER: Today, the New Mexico Department of Transportation kicks off a seven-month project to widen the interstate and its ramps from San Antonio to just south of Jefferson.
Kimberly Gallegos, who handles information for the District 3 office of NMDOT, says in a news release the project will add a southbound lane to the highway on this section as well as a second lane to the northbound off-ramp at San Antonio. The first phase will focus on widening the highway and its bridges.
Drivers are being told to expect lane and shoulder restrictions at the northbound and southbound exits at San Mateo from now through May 31. In fact, the southbound exit at San Mateo is now closed, and drivers will be alerted to exit at San Antonio or Jefferson instead. The southbound frontage road will also have a lane closed for the length of the project.
Gallegos says there will also be periodic lane and shoulder restrictions on San Mateo/Osuna throughout the work, as well as nightime closures of the interstate and San Mateo/Osuna.
PRISON PROMPTS NO HITCHING SIGNS:
Eric Weinstein has a question about “the signs near Los Lunas that say, “don’t pick up hitchhikers in this area.” I realize there is a prison in the immediate area, but am perplexed by the signs.
“Is it because they have that many escapes from the prison? Is it because when inmates are released they just go to the highway to try to get a ride? Something else entirely?
Just wondering if you could ask the DOT about the rationale for those signs.”
Done. And they seem to be more a general warning than to address a specific problem.
Gallegos says “these signs are places for public safety and awareness to advise drivers and alert motorists that may be unfamiliar with the area that there is a correctional facility nearby. The NMDOT encourages awareness and safety for the traveling public.”
IF I HAD A SPARE, I COULDN’T CHANGE IT:
And in the news-ofthe-weird category, AAA New Mexico sent out a news release recently announcing “nearly one-third — 28 percent — of 2017 model year vehicles do not come with a spare tire as standard equipment, creating an unnecessary hassle and expense for drivers. Last year alone, AAA came to the rescue to more than 450,000 members faced with a flat tire whose cars did not have a spare tire.” The news release counsels “to avoid a roadside surprise, AAA urges drivers to check their trunk for a spare tire before trouble strikes.”
The follow-up data shows that many drivers who do have a spare don’t know what to do with it. “Even if drivers do have a spare tire, they are often reaching for their cellphones to call for roadside assistance rather than changing the tire themselves. According to a previous AAA survey, nearly 20 percent — 39 million — of U.S. drivers do not know how to change a flat tire.”