This alternative would include all of the elements of the Enhanced 2-Lane with Added Lanes Alternative plus a third travel lane would be provided in each direction for the full 150-mile corridor. The graphic below shows an example of a typical section of the 3-Lane Alternative:

• Cost estimates are preliminary and are for comparison and discussion purposes only. Estimates are in 2023 dollars and do not include project development, right-of-way, New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax, or improving ramps and building crossovers.
• Costs do not include operational enhancements which are discussed in the Operational Enhancements section.

The build alternatives were evaluated using the criteria listed below:

• Traffic Operations and Future Traffic Growth – Both alternatives are expected to accommodate expected future traffic growth between now and 2050.
• Safety – Both alternatives improve safety by lengthening interchange ramps, correcting curves, and widening shoulders.
• Maintenance of Traffic during Construction – Both alternatives can be built while maintaining 2 lanes on I-40.
• Maintenance of Traffic during Incidents, Maintenance, and Construction Once Built – The Enhanced 2-Lane is a substantial improvement over existing conditions, but the 3-Lane Alternative provides more space and flexibility.
• Right-of-Way Impacts – Impacts are not expected for either alternative, based on conceptual design.
• Environmental Considerations – The 3-Lane Alternative has a larger footprint and more potential effects to cultural and natural resources, but differences are minor.
• Cost – Construction costs for the 3-Lane Alternative are about 20% to 25% more than the Enhanced 2-Lane with Added Lanes Alternative because it is about 24 feet wider. The 3-Lane Alternative will also have higher maintenance costs.

Recommendation

The Enhanced 2-Lane with Added Lanes Alternative is recommended because it:

• Improves traffic operations and reliability by reducing the main causes of traffic back-ups – construction, maintenance, and incidents.
• Responds to safety and infrastructure needs by addressing pavement condition, interchange ramps that need to be improved, and curves that need to be corrected to meet current roadway design guidelines.
• Meets expected future traffic growth and is “future ready” for easy expansion to 3-lanes by converting one of the shoulders to a lane and adding a new shoulder as shown in the graphic below:

Both build alternatives would incorporate the following operational enhancements to improve safety and operations on I-40:

Minimize Lane Closures During Construction and Maintenance

This includes developing and implementing approaches to minimize disruptions to traffic during construction and maintenance activities such as:

• Maintaining 2 travel lanes on I-40 in each direction during construction.
• Developing and implementing policies to maintain 2 travel lanes on I-40 as much as possible during daytime hours. This may include doing maintenance during nighttime or off-peak hours when 2 travel lanes cannot be maintained.

Estimated Costs

Costs to maintain 2 lanes during construction are included in estimated construction costs for both build alternatives. Costs to conduct maintenance during off-peak hours will depend on the type of maintenance, time of day, and location and will be determined on a case-by case basis.

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Improve Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)

ITS technologies augment traditional roadway infrastructure by integrating advanced communications technologies to improve transportation operations, efficiency, and reliability. Proposed ITS improvements for I-40 include:

• Data Collection Stations – Upgrade existing data collection systems on I-40 and add up to 10 additional stations.
• Cameras, Messaging Signs, and Weather Information Systems – NMDOT currently has 9 cameras, 5 messaging signs, and 2 weather information systems that provide real-time information to drivers on I-40. Existing messaging signs would be replaced and additional cameras are proposed.
• Fiber Optic Communications Network – Expanding the existing 25-mile fiber optic network to the entire 150-mile corridor is proposed to connect ITS devices and improve information provided to travelers.
• District 6 Traffic Management Center – Development of a Traffic Management Center in District 6 is proposed to enable remote ITS operations and management and to coordinate with key stakeholders such as police, state patrol, and emergency services.
• Truck Parking Availability System – This system would provide information on available truck parking in the study area.

Estimated Costs

Costs for proposed ITS improvements are estimated at about $35 million in 2023 dollars and do not include project development, right-of-way or New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax. In addition, estimated costs do not include labor or annual operations costs for the District 6 Traffic Management Center.

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Improve Alternate Routes

This includes improving existing frontage roads adjacent to I-40 to provide alternate routes by:

• Repairing or replacing bridges and pavement on existing routes, where needed.
• Removing vertical clearance constraints for trucks on existing alternate routes. Specifically, this could include replacing the concrete box culverts located near milepost 8.4 on NM 118 west of Gallup and milepost 90.6 on NM 124 east of Grants.

Estimated Costs

Costs for improving alternate routes will be determined on a case-by-case basis for bridge improvements and removing vertical clearance constraints. Estimated costs for reconstructing or rehabilitating pavement on alternate routes are provided below:

• Costs for reconstructing pavement on a 2-lane roadway with 2-foot shoulders is estimated at $2.1 million per mile and rehabilitation costs are estimated at $750,000 per mile.
• Costs for reconstructing pavement on wider roadways (such as Route 66 in Gallup that has 4 lanes, a center turn lane, and 8-foot shoulders) are estimated at $4 million per mile and rehabilitation costs are estimated at $1.7 million per mile.
• Costs do not include project development or New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax.

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Improve Incident Management

Widening roadway shoulders on I-40 will improve the ability of emergency responders to respond to incidents and get traffic moving. NMDOT will continue to work with the legislature and law enforcement to improve incident management through improved coordination and training and supporting incident response.

Estimated Costs

Costs for improved incident management would depend on the policies and procedures developed and would be determined on a case-by-case basis.