Edgewood residents using Cactus Road will need to plan alternate routes this week as the town conducts road construction and culvert installation from Monday, Aug. 18, through Friday, Aug. 22.
The work will prepare the roadway for future paving as part of the town’s ongoing infrastructure improvement efforts, according to an official notice from the Town of Edgewood. Residents are advised to use Quail Trail, enter the neighborhood using Pioneer Road or use Highway 344 as alternate routes during the construction period.
Edgewood Community Liaison Linda Burke said that when the town relocated its police department to a much-needed larger facility on Cactus Road, the additional traffic impact to the road quickly became noticeable. Cactus Road is a half-mile alternative to NM 344, which can be used as a bypass should an incident occur that blocks the frontage road access at NM 344.
On Aug. 4, road crews began line spotting, dirt work and grading. Situated in an older area of Edgewood, utility lines and water lines are often very shallow and require additional care by the crews as they slowly create ditches and crown the road, according to Burke. A series of culverts will be installed the week of Aug. 18-22, followed by chipseal paving.
Edgewood committed $1 million for road paving equipment last year and set a goal to complete paving three miles in the current fiscal year.
Burke said the town recently added more staff to the Roads team to more frequently service the town’s 67 miles of roads — some paved, but most gravel.
“Earlier, in mid-2023, the town purchased its own road-building equipment, an unusual step for a small municipality,” Burke said. “Edgewood’s Commission saw an opportunity to be able to improve roads and more efficiently control costs and timelines. Contracting out road work typically costs three times as much and has excessively long lead times.”
Since acquiring road-building equipment, the Roads Department has completed Appaloosa Road (.75 miles) in 2024, and so far, in 2025, has completed Paradise Rd. (.50 miles), and E Venus Rd. (1.25 miles). Once Cactus Rd. is completed, the road crew will move on to Nugent Rd., where they will begin the process of installing culverts and preparing a one-mile stretch for chipseal paving from NM 344 to Horton Road.
“The town considers a variety of factors to identify and prioritize roads for paving. High traffic volume is just one element in the process,” Burke said. “Roads that require excessive maintenance time due to site logistics are also considered for chipseal paving. Where roads are longer and require complex drainage solutions, such as Horton Road, the process will take longer.”
The town’s construction notice emphasized safety, urging residents to “use caution and keep our community and crews safe in the Cactus Road area during road construction.”
For questions about the construction project, residents can contact Town Manager Nina McCracken at (505) 286-4518 or TownManager@edgewood-nm.gov.
