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Thursday, April 10, 2008

Editorial: I-40 Traffic Will Be Up to Drivers

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    Commuters using Interstate 40 find it easy to get spoiled with a clear shot to Albuquerque and back every day.
    But the orange barrels will be returning for a reconstruction project between the Sedillo and Zuzax exits starting in May.
    What will make this project much harder to take than those in the past is that for 75 days westbound I-40 will be reduced to one lane so the eastbound lanes can be rebuilt. The project is the latest piece of the state Department of Transportation's reconstruction of the freeway from the Bernalillo County line into the city. Over the past decade, commuters have had to put up with constant construction.
    With this project, they will be subject to long waits on both the interstate and Old Route 66 as they try to get into town. In the event of an accident, one or both of the routes could end up as a parking lot.
    DOT says it will do all it can to ensure traffic keeps flowing, but it's easy to be skeptical. The department's record of keeping traffic flowing through Tijeras Canyon is sketchy at best.
    The department claims there are no alternatives other than to reduce westbound I-40 to one lane, which will leave it up to drivers to find solutions.
    An obvious one for many may be to utilize the Park and Ride. Another might be to alter driving schedules to relieve heavy traffic during the morning commute.
    No matter the problems that will occur, one thing remains clear: We're all in this together and the solutions will come from all of us.