[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6130936,"mediaKeyId","5734458-bddebd6367eab4fc78b8b4b106c64e8d","parentId",5734458,"title","Lawmakers hear pleas to speed safety fixes on NM 26 and NM 9 and to address life‑threatening dust storms on I‑10","audioSeconds",1283,"startMs",5108000,"endMs",6391000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5734458-bddebd6367eab4fc78b8b4b106c64e8d&start=5108&end=6391","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5734458-bddebd6367eab4fc78b8b4b106c64e8d/thumbnail_5108000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6130936/New-Mexico/Lawmakers-hear-pleas-to-speed-safety-fixes-on-NM-26-and-NM-9-and-to-address-lifethreatening-dust-storms-on-I10","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6130936-8e2a0b5fe46514fbf2ccc537b656c88a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083358&Signature=h3MyP~5RfN1WnPxGPd~-n-7E9mhexeL7HxFaWuvU~az4jis7OS2Irf~REQhm8cCeokQIODuxL18-HuIqm7hMgh8x5e76Bcf0I9n71hR-pgZOSZWhUAGLfi9AJurwtd4D1kDcMcorJq-jv~zq4GHLH-N8UDumXCH7i~YoVo1KswYvYA0T2gO2g9sz4~CQ61lmEDab7TUGl1IKQSzKF9ZYG2Ccdb5O4bhouSbDL7312UGnLWRjnA7xWOMWzESNFMp0Zq-Rb1ub9k6pX7zSX0A4zRC8eNLghOjNzgxIK5LJ196YZ3IK9u2Bneuqa38HqwPQVEjAocENHaA5qGY2fBwQaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Interim - Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee ","date","2025-08-21T00:00:00Z","article","State and local officials told the Legislative Transportation Committee on Wednesday that rural highways in southwest New Mexico — particularly New Mexico 26, New Mexico 9 and Interstate 10 — present acute safety risks from crashes, oversized loads and sudden dust storms that can produce zero visibility.

District 1 DOT and county officials gave crash figures for New Mexico 26 and said short-term countermeasures are ready while longer-term widening would take years. Aaron Chavarria, NMDOT district engineer, said the agency will resurface the first 15 miles and add centerline rumble strips from Deming to Hatch as near-term safety measures. \"We're gonna be adding center line rumble strips...These are short term fixes, that can address some inattention of drivers,\" Chavarria said. The county manager said there have been 13 fatalities since 2020 on the corridor.

Why it matters: legislators heard that NM 26 has become a de facto interstate shortcut for commercial traffic when I‑40 or other routes close, increasing head-on and passing crashes. Lawmakers also heard disturbing testimony about Highway 9 and oversized/escort practices that endanger school buses and local traffic in Animas and Columbus.

School-bus and wide-load concerns: Animas Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Gephardt and local rancher Russell Johnson described narrow two-lane stretches on Highway 9 used by school buses and by oversized wide loads (including wind-turbine components). Gephardt, who also drives a bus, said routes can put children on a bus for more than 90 minutes each way and that narrow shoulders and steep drop-offs make pullouts unsafe. \"If you're on a bus, driving a bus with a bus full of kids, and you get knocked off the road, basically, or forced off the road, it gets scary,\" Gephardt said. Johnson and other witnesses described escorts that sometimes enter the traffic lane and said many wide loads operate without proper pilot cars or do not observe curfew hours that are in permit conditions.

Dust storms and I‑10: Hidalgo County Sheriff and state police described dust storms on I‑10 that can reduce visibility to near zero within minutes. Sheriff Chadbourne and Sergeant Joseph Flores said their officers sometimes lack staff to close multiple interstate exits and that first responders are put at high risk during shutdown attempts. \"I've been stuck in these dust storms...in less than 5 minutes,\" Flores said, recounting response to a multi‑vehicle crash that produced fatalities. Committee members asked for expanded coordination among NMDOT, state police, county sheriffs and the National Weather Service, plus improved public-warning systems and local mitigation of dust sources.

Short-term and longer-term fixes discussed: witnesses urged a mix of steps the committee could pursue: centerline rumble strips and targeted resurfacing on NM 26; temporary passing lanes or permanent two‑lane widening in high‑crash segments; stricter enforcement of curfews and escort requirements for wide loads on Highway 9; a rural expansion of NMDOT's \"Target Zero\" safety program; portable message signs and improved radio/cell communications along remote stretches; and additional law‑enforcement resources to manage dust‑storm closures on I‑10.

Ending: Committee members asked DOT for project timelines and data and discussed follow-up briefings. Local officials asked the legislature to consider funding and staffing solutions to allow faster implementation of short‑term safety fixes and to develop more robust dust‑storm warning and highway‑closure protocols.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Interim - Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee (Pt.1) - Aug 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Residents, school officials and law enforcement told the committee that fatalities on NM 26 and wide loads on NM 9 endanger rural travelers and schoolchildren, and that sudden dust storms on I‑10 require more enforcement, communications and short‑term engineering fixes.","taxTitle","Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee, Interim, Committees, Legislative, New Mexico","taxId",65451,"location","New Mexico","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6130942,"Local leaders press for truck bypass and route funding as American Magnesium pitches major mine-to-mill project",1629,812000,2441000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5734458-bddebd6367eab4fc78b8b4b106c64e8d&start=812&end=2441","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5734458-bddebd6367eab4fc78b8b4b106c64e8d/thumbnail_812000.jpg","/articles/6130942/New-Mexico/Local-leaders-press-for-truck-bypass-and-route-funding-as-American-Magnesium-pitches-major-mine-to-mill-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6130942-b2236628779d00543763a0ccafe9ee12/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083358&Signature=Nm7qsA443BPhar3ShIuFhOuvZsT3q~lXDmIKRQocqgFQBFLZZciVmwBnkbMFE2BfFcRp0-LpKs9~CcNAw6-hRE5F1Tzb-jDFSNywTTWfnH-CIgZsnO4ZpoFiyB5YmELc~4dVIfnqPdam1GOLkgwCWANjPc1V9HUC4pXEdnNlC36KYQbJ8zbwSZwSH6MQfzmJXKR4SN1qceTW7Vc8-sKjY8PTIlCrZ7hFxYgLN7jECTnNJhdtg4l7X26pxElWf6PFQpBvyA~s1eQHQ1um7aPHIdjwcaJs7NQW6OXf-q3hJxtybCAfNcPF8tbII~fGrzxaqsvywuiVbYhVE05QfxrTrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Luna County officials and industry representatives asked the Legislative Transportation Committee on Wednesday to support long-planned bypasses and truck-route improvements along New Mexico 11, arguing the upgrades are necessary to remove heavy commercial traffic from small towns and to enable new industrial investment.

County Manager Chris Bryce told the committee that New Mexico 11 — the corridor running from Deming to the Columbus port — now carries substantially more heavy truck traffic, including equipment and wide loads bound for Mexico and regional processors. \"Highway 11 has become a very busy corridor,\" Bryce said, describing semis and heavy equipment queuing to cross the border and sometimes running through downtown Columbus.

Why it matters: county and city leaders said traffic and safety concerns are constraining local commerce and quality of life. Carol Ness, managing member of American Magnesium, described a bankable technical report for a magnesium project near Deming and said truck access to a Deming industrial park is essential for milling and rail transfer. \"We would take whatever route that was planned for the port of entry because it's basically the same route,\" Ness told lawmakers, urging state and federal help with truck routing and timing.

Background and proposed solutions: officials described a decade-long effort to study bypass alternatives for Columbus and a possible Deming bypass or widening of NM 11 to four lanes in congested segments. The county previously estimated a 25-mile bypass at about $50 million in 2016–17; presenters said inflation and construction-cost escalation would raise that price substantially today. The county has applied multiple times for federal competitive grants — including BUILD/TIGER and other discretionary programs — and said it came close to awards but needs tweaks and legislative support to secure federal funding.

Industry perspective: Ness presented a bankable National Instrument report for the magnesium deposit, told the committee the site received a BLM Finding of No Significant Impact during environmental review and said the project would mill material in the Deming industrial park with rail and natural-gas access. She argued the mine and mill would provide jobs and tax revenue statewide and that truck-route improvements would be a relatively modest near-term cost compared with project benefits.

Short-term measures and shovel-ready projects: county managers listed smaller, shovel-ready fixes intended to divert heavy truck traffic from NM 11, including strengthening and surfacing Sunshine Road and local connector roads to serve industrial lots and a proposed east-side Columbus bypass. They also asked the committee to help prioritize Transportation Project Fund and capital-outlay support for local grant matches and encouraged coordination on federal grant applications.

Ending: Legislators encouraged local leaders to continue refining grant applications, to coordinate with NMDOT and federal partners and to provide the committee with refined cost estimates; several members offered to help elevate the truck-route and berm projects in capital-outlay and grant-priority lists.","County, municipal and industry representatives told lawmakers that heavy truck traffic along New Mexico 11 and through Deming and Columbus requires bypasses or widening to protect downtowns and support new industrial investment tied to an American Magnesium project.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6130946,"Luna County officials urge state help to finish berm, citing flooding that halts port activity and school buses",462,1518000,1980000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5734458-bddebd6367eab4fc78b8b4b106c64e8d&start=1518&end=1980","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5734458-bddebd6367eab4fc78b8b4b106c64e8d/thumbnail_1518000.jpg","/articles/6130946/New-Mexico/Luna-County-officials-urge-state-help-to-finish-berm-citing-flooding-that-halts-port-activity-and-school-buses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6130946-d57965e800ab6f09cde9faf63e3e5045/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083358&Signature=OqHWaG7oCKRcP5DhEu6XacH44Uv8xsppDi3bjKcwNm~7jJm5q3FEK4z5xKlqQSbdAgEcimQ3CvrOfJjmxlaDCglR9YNCyPdcI-2spu1~58noMtsjtycQWXp26SVHXw3eZJ4FgMisITLPJaGmv0MAjvPQIBc-m4BqQeobGazuEfEejFekh~qv0YtUezW848949deQ0kR-jLMt6gq6MYKEBfIJSSuSseoTxLJwL6v3Elxlz4NZWEfxpqDJ~VKsWAZrVnB746PxYA0OgdzjiLIkIr-akS4ojpph-Nm78Uvy~JQJRON9PCqcGQZWIZe3Qt17Zk8eIS8obr-coqxq6sINeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County and city officials in Luna County told the New Mexico Legislative Transportation Committee in Deming on Wednesday that recurring flooding at the Santa Teresa/Columbus port of entry and adjacent industrial park is blocking commerce and putting students and residents at risk.

The county manager, Chris Bryce, said a 1.5-inch rain event left portions of state Highway 11 and the port area standing in water, and that a retention-lift station the federal government planned was never completed. \"We put about 5 and a half million dollars worth of infrastructure into the roads, into the industrial park,\" Bryce said, \"they're flooded with water.\" He said the county has $21,000,000 for a berm project but is about $9,000,000 short to complete a middle phase of the plan.

The unfinished drainage work has immediate consequences for Deming Public Schools, which brings children across the port daily. \"These students are citizens of The United States,\" Charles Turner, government affairs coordinator for Deming Public Schools, told the committee. He said the district runs 15 buses from the port and that heavy rainfall has forced bus cancellations and cut daily attendance by nearly 10 percent on at least one occasion.

Why it matters: lawmakers heard that the unfinished flood-control work prevents private investment in the industrial park, damages the port’s functionality and creates public-health risks including standing water and mosquito infestations. County and city leaders asked legislators for help closing the funding gap to finish the berm and for a review of the federal retention and pump work at the port.

What officials told lawmakers: Bryce said the berm is designed to control what he described as \"the hundred year storm\" for about 1,800 acres in the southern part of the county and protect planned industrial development. The county and village of Columbus have completed part of the berm under phase one funding but need roughly $9 million to finish phase two; phase three covers a separate state-land parcel and already has federal funding, Bryce said. He described the federal retention basin near the port as incomplete and said the county used congressional-directed funds and state resources to begin work.

Charles Turner described daily operational impacts to schools: standing water at bus stops, increased student nurse visits for mosquito bites, and canceled routes that reduce classroom time. \"On a major storm in July when we shut down those bus routes, we had a nearly 10% decrease in attendance and participation that day from the four schools that have students from the port of entry,\" Turner said.

City and economic-development leaders told lawmakers the flooding also undermines business recruitment. City Manager Aaron Serra and Mayor Philip Skinner said recent capital investments — including roughly $5.5 million in road and drainage work for an industrial park — were overtopped during rainfall and remain vulnerable while the full drainage system is incomplete. Carol Ness, managing member of American Magnesium, told the committee the proposed magnesium project would rely on mill and rail facilities at the Deming industrial park and that reliable truck access and flood protection are essential. \"Magnesium is a critical metal,\" Ness said. She said the deposit near Deming could support long-term mining and milling jobs and tax revenue but that the company needs dependable truck routes and industrial land out of the floodplain.

Funding and federal issues: county officials said they used a mix of governor-directed funds, ARPA and other state sources to build the first berm segment. They credited Senator Heinrich for a small congressional appropriation earlier, but said they have received little federal coordination to finish the retention/pumping work the General Services Administration did not complete. Bryce told the committee that federal NEPA processes complicate using some federal funding and that the county is seeking the remaining funds through the Water Trust Board, capital outlay and other avenues.

Next steps and requests: county, city and school representatives asked committee members to consider the berm phase-two funding gap in upcoming budget and capital-outlay discussions, to help press for completion of federal retention-pump infrastructure around the port, and to coordinate with the Water Trust Board and federal partners so the port and industrial park can operate without repeated flooding.

Ending: Committee members expressed support for follow-up and offered visits and technical contacts; multiple legislators suggested the matter be reviewed with the state Water Trust Board, the New Mexico Finance Authority and the governor’s capital-outlay process to identify funding to complete the berm and related drainage work.","County and city leaders told the Legislative Transportation Committee that incomplete federal drainage work and a shortfall on a flood-control berm leave the Santa Teresa/Columbus port area vulnerable, disrupting bus routes, business development and public health.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lawmakers hear pleas to speed safety fixes on NM 26 and NM 9 and to address life‑threatening dust storms on I‑10

Local leaders press for truck bypass and route funding as American Magnesium pitches major mine-to-mill project

Luna County officials urge state help to finish berm, citing flooding that halts port activity and school buses