Rio Communities accepts new bypass road to help with semi traffic

RIO COMMUNITIES—What started out as a bypass to keep large semi-trucks hauling massive wind turbines through the middle of Rio Communities is now a public road for everyone to use.

The 100-foot wide, 1.3-mile stretch of bypass road, now named Founders Way, connects N.M. 304 to N.M. 47 just north of the Arcosa Wind Towers manufacturing plant in the Rio Grande Industrial Park. The state of New Mexico appropriated $6.5 million in Local Economic Development Act funds to construct the road.

During a city council meeting Monday, the councilors unanimously agreed to accept the road, meaning the city will now be responsible for maintaining the newly-built bypass.

Before the road was constructed and finished last week, trucks hauling the 190-foot towers made their way from the facility, through Rio Communities, south to U.S. 60 in Socorro County and then west to Interstate 25.

Since October 2024, the intersection of N.M. 304 and N.M. 47 has periodically had to be closed due to the ongoing transport of the wind towers. Nearly immediately, the city, state, county and the company reached an agreement that the state would provide LEDA funding to help with construction of the road.

Rio Communities City Manager Martin Moore said the landowners, which includes the Martin Sisneros family, Felipe Sanchez and Harvey Yates, donated the land for the road.

“Arcosa was the tipping point,” Moore said. “We’ve had issues with semi trucks prior with Arcosa’s construction of their landing pad, and we had large trucks coming through, and then the 110 ton trucks coming in. This is going to be much faster.”

Moore said construction of the new road began in the spring and was built in “record time.” He also said while the road was built specifically to help the type of traffic Arcosa is generating, Moore said it is a public road for every motorist to use.

The city manager said while he’s thrilled with the new road, there are still some challenges the city and state are dealing with.

“Highway 304 isn’t in the best shape, and Highway 47 has been taking a pounding,” he said. “Both of them have been highly stressed by this. We’ve been seeing bigger pieces of the road popping up, potholes getting bigger and more erosion. It has stressed our streets and our neighborhoods.”

When asked what the city plans to do about those repairs, Moore said he has been speaking with representatives with the New Mexico Department of Transportation.

“They said they are willing to sit down and create a plan for N.M. 304 and 47 moving forward,” the city manager said.

The new road includes two mountable curbs at either end, including a 1,000-foot deceleration lane. The mountable curbs were designed and constructed so sturdy that the large trucks could sit on.

“It provides and allows those trucks to mount,” Moore said. “This concrete was poured to special specification, which withstands 4,000 pounds. We think it might be able to hold 5-6,000 pounds per square inch after it cures.”

Moore said other than the freeway, the thinks this road is one of the most “sound” roads in Valencia County, saying it can handle a lot of traffic and a lot of weight.

Rio Communities City Councilor Lawrence Gordon said he believes this new road will also attract new industry and new revenue for the city.

“It definitely will bring growth,” Gordon said of the new bypass road. “With this road going through, (they) can build the manufacturing park, which means a lot of growth for the city.”

Rio Communities Mayor Joshua Ramsell said this road speaks development and a future for the community.

“It will bring a tax base for the city for services people want and need — a bigger police department, more fire and EMS but also a larger budget to provide parks and other amenities for the residents,” Ramsell said. “It also opens the opportunity for future development because now you have a dedicated road that links two state highways together and enables this whole area to be developed.”

The mayor said the area, which is near the old Navajo Loop Road, is prime for growth, including manufacturing.

Ramsell said he wants to dismiss rumors that the city will allow gas and oil drilling and even fracking.

“That’s not what we allow here in Rio Communities,” the mayor said. “For those people who are not sure, you are not allowed to drill or frack or horizontal drilling within the city limits.

“We worked for eight months with the community on changing the zoning code, along with the developers and interested parties, and everyone was happy with the zoning code we came up with,” he said.

As for naming of the road, the city council and mayor discussed the issue at Monday’s meeting, with two councilors in disagreement over the name of Founders Way.

Rio Communities City Councilors Tom Nelson and Matthew Marquez voted against the name of Founders Way, saying they were against the name because they felt the other two councilors, Art Apodaca and Lawrence Gordon and Ramsell chose the name months ago.

During the meeting, Marquez said he asked the community to come up with names, and put them forward for consideration. Some of the names included Taxpayer Turnpike, which Ramsell said was a suggestion by Belen Mayor Robert Noblin.

Other names Marquez suggested for the road included Arcosa Road, Zia Trail, Zia Bypass, Turbine Trail, Goathead Boulevard among others.

After several names were suggested but didn’t get a second, Marquez suggested the road should be name Tara Calico Boulevard, a 19-year-old woman who disappeared from the area in 1988. She has not been found since.

Ramsell asked if her family had been asked if it was OK with them, Nelson said he hadn’t reached out. He said the road should be named for Calico because she was well known and it would pay homage to her.

With Marquez making the motion and Nelson seconding it, Gordon and Apodaca voted no. Ramsell broke the tie and voted no.

It was then that Gordon made a motion to name the road Founders Way and was seconded by Apodaca. Gordon said it was paying homage to the group that first formed the city.

Nelson abstained from the vote, saying he didn’t believe it was in the best interest of the city. Marquez voted no, and the two other councilors voting in favor of Founders Way.