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The long-term goal of a Westside bypass benefits the entire area, Sandoval County Manager Wayne Johnson says.
He told the Sandoval Signpost those benefits extend to the Town of Bernalillo, where councilors earlier this week opted to publicly oppose such a project, which would include widening and extending Paseo del Volcan.
“We need a place to develop economic-base jobs,” Johnson said. “Paseo del Volcan is the right corridor for that.”
He said the bypass is beneficial not only for economic development in Rio Rancho, but also for Sandoval County residents who commute to jobs in Albuquerque.
Town councilors ratified a message — originally sent in a Sept. 2 open letter to the New Mexico Department of Transportation — saying Bernalillo opposes the project that could create a bypass for through traffic as an alternative to traversing the Big I interchange of I-40 and I-25.
Mayor Jack Torres and town councilors Sharon Torres-Quintana, Gerred Prairie and Vincent Montoya had signed the letter, expressing concerns about increased traffic volume through town, economic harm to Bernalillo retail and other issues.
Torres said NMDOT recently hosted a public hearing to discuss the project and spelled out its plans.
“In other words, potentially truck traffic coming from California, for instance, coming eastbound on I-40 would be able to take Paseo del Volcan, tie into (U.S. Highway) 550 and then pick up I-25,” he said Monday.
The project has been the county’s No. 1 capital priority since before he took the county manager position, Johnson said.
He said he understands Bernalillo’s position and believes the county, as fiscal agent, and the NMDOT would take the town’s concerns into account. He said the county will push for a traffic study that Bernalillo is seeking.
“This is one area where we happen to disagree,” Johnson said. “Normally, we work well together and we have a very good relationship with them.”
Also at the meeting, planning and zoning director Rebecca Bolen said Sandoval County governments are working on an update to the area’s 2019 multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan.
The purpose of the plan, she said, is to acknowledge that disasters are going to happen; Bolen added that good mitigation planning beforehand can reduce injury and property damage, shorten emergency response times and help communities bounce back faster.
She said ways to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters are as straightforward as managing forests and open space well and educating the public about Arroyo safety or how to be prepared for wildfires.
Town councilors also approved a public celebration permit for the Sept. 20 Enchantment Games event, a fundraiser for the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy.
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