Village council addresses issues on Morris Road, I-25 due to Los Lunas Boulevard project

LOS LUNAS — The Los Lunas Village Council addressed citizen concerns over damage to Morris Road and noise caused by the redirection of traffic on Interstate 25 during the Los Lunas Boulevard/I-25 interchange project during its meeting on Oct. 23.

After a report from Moltzen Corbin representative Wyatt Kartchner and the village’s Public Works director Michael Jaramillo, Councilor Christopher Ortiz spoke about the state of Morris Road. He said concerns about the heavy construction trucks, which have been raised to village staff and have been voiced numerous times on social media. Molzen Corbin was selected by the village to perform construction phase services on the Los Lunas Boulevard corridor project.

“I’ve heard complaints (about Morris Road) but these heavy trucks are demolishing that road, the asphalt and everything,” Ortiz said. “So eventually, we’re going to have to redo Morris I’m assuming.”

Jaramillo stated the road is “getting bad and it’s probably going to get worse.” He concluded that the road would eventually need to be redone.

He also acknowledged the damage but explained the village may not be able to hold the current contractor fully accountable for rebuilding the road to its per-existing condition.

“I took the mayor and some others on a tour ... and I don’t see how we can hold a contractor accountable to fixing the road back,” Jaramillo said. “(The contractor) is willing to maintain it right now and they’re doing those improvements, but as I told our Greg (Martin), our village administrator, we may have to look at budgeting some money to rebuild the road to some condition.”

Councilor Cruz Munoz mentioned that constituents had also contacted him about damaged manhole covers seen on Morris Road with some found “standing straight up.”

Jaramillo said the village’s team is working with contractors in a continued effort to prevent further damage. The contractor ensured that the large trucks driving up and down Morris Road will stop driving over the manhole covers, and noted that about eight covers have already been fixed due to damage.

Earlier in the meeting, Jaramillo spoke to community concerns regarding noise from the rumble strips on southbound Interstate 25 during discussion of the change order for the project. The loud buzzing of vehicle tires rolling over the strips between the main lane of the interstate and the breakdown lane can be heard all day and night on both sides of the highway.

Jaramillo said the rumble strips issue is one of several small issues that have come up since the project began in August.

“We’re getting these complaints about them, and I know that I asked Wyatt to look at what that cost would be to remove them, pave over them or do something. It’s going to be pricey if we do it,” he told the council. “Plus, it’s also going to create delays in trying to do the work because if you’ve been through there, on that bypass, it’s quite a bit.”

Jaramillo concluded by saying that since taking a look at the ongoing issue, complaints have “calmed down.” He said he is “doing the homework” on the issue and will present his findings to the council at a future date,

The council ultimately approved a change order for the Los Lunas Boulevard/I-25 interchange project 4-0.

The change results in a savings of $2.8 million dollars, due to the removal of artwork planned for the concrete work on the new stretch of road from I-25 to N.M. 47. Among the changes in the order were a $3,000,000 increase in wage rates, additional detour paving to the tune of $450,000.00 and the excavation of unsuitable material along the drains at a cost of $1,330,000.