NMDOT: I-25 La Bajada project to continue through fall 2024

LA BAJADA, N.M. — Drivers going between Albuquerque and Santa Fe Friday morning ran into a bit of a slow down. Major backups only lasted a couple of hours – but drivers should expect to add at least a little extra time to the trip for the next couple of years.

“Depending on traffic, there will be some backups at times, and I think motorists can anticipate that,” said Marisa Maez with the New Mexico Department of Transportation. “Especially those that will be traveling this route back and forth, maybe Albuquerque to Santa Fe, will experience that and get to know, alright, it might take me five more minutes as I’m traveling every day, as part of my commute versus not.”

On Friday, southbound lanes were shifted closer to northbound lanes and the road was re-striped.

“So that they can start work on that southbound side, so it’s just kind of a crossover traffic pattern that we’re creating,” Maez said.

Crews are working on shoring up the ground under the road at La Bajada.

“You know, the name of the road itself or that area, means ‘the descent,’ that’s, you know, La Bajada,” Maez said. “Because you’re on that large descent we have to make sure that that slope will not kind of move out from under the road.”

Maez said motorists can expect the traffic pattern to stay that way for a while.

“We will have two lanes of traffic at all times – so two heading northbound and two heading southbound,” she said.

Motorists can expect another change in the traffic flow when crews cross over to work on the northbound side of the road.

The full project is expected to wrap up in the fall of 2024.