I-25 Tramway to Bernalillo

Background

About 60,000 drivers a day travel Interstate 25 at the Tramway Interchange. By 2020, about 110,000 motorists a day are expected to use the interstate. The southbound bridge of I-25 at the interchange was constructed in 1955 and the northbound bridge of I-25 was built in 1958.

Proposed Objectives and Improvements

The project included replacing the bridges and widening each to three lanes instead of two lanes. Tramway Road beneath the bridges, which goes east and west, were widened from two lanes to four lanes. Stop signs at the intersections of I-25 and Tramway Road were replaced by traffic signals. The state awarded the construction contract to A.S. Horner Inc. of Albuquerque

The work should alleviate traffic jams and increase traffic safety in the area. The improvements are intended to create a smoother flow of traffic during the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The new interchange will also provide easier access to nearby Sandia Casino.

A future GRIP project that is an extension of this one will widen I-25 to three lanes from the interchange to Bernalillo. That work is expected to begin in 2008.

Detours/Traffic Impacts

Drivers can expect lane closures along Tramway Road. However, message boards near the construction will guide motorists to detours. Contractors must keep two lanes of I-25 open in each direction during peak traffic hours during the construction.