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Construction News for the
week of April 17, 2023
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National Work Zone Awareness Week runs April 17-21
Drivers must use extra caution in work zones
National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is held each spring to raise awareness as roadway work gets into full swing. The goal is to remind everyone to pay attention as they approach and drive through work zones so both motorists and roadway workers remain safe.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), in 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available, there were 857 work zone crash fatalities in the U.S. Most people killed in work zone fatalities are motorists, passengers, and pedestrians. Driver inattention and speed are the biggest factors in work zone crashes. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) an average of 123 roadway workers are killed in work zones each year.
Drivers are urged to take note and adhere to reduced speed limits, eliminate distractions and be watchful for roadway workers and their equipment. This year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week theme is “You Play a Role in Work Zone Safety. Work With Us.”
Go Orange Day takes place Wednesday, April 19. Wear orange to show your support for the men and women who work tirelessly to keep our roads in top condition and to provide support for the families who have lost loved ones in work zone crashes. Take a photo of yourself wearing orange and show your commitment to work zone safety by posting it to Facebook and Twitter with the hashtags #Orange4Safety and #GoOrangeDay.
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Take a vacation from your car and discover Los Alamos
in a whole new way!
Find a new path to walk and visit a friend or drop by for a drink at a local brewpub after work. Ride your bike and then ride the Atomic City Transit for a hassle-free commute with time to respond to messages or rest your eyes before getting home. Join a carpool group, and grow your friendships with coworkers, instead of your wait in traffic.
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Public Works Projects:
The projects listed in this section are being managed by County Public Works staff through contractors. For more information, please e-mail lacpw@lacnm.us, call (505)662-8150, or visit the “Projects/Public Works” link at www.losalamosnm.us. Please slow down and use caution within the construction work zones. Please note the below information is based on a schedule provided by the contractors and may change due to weather or other delays.
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33rd / 34th St. Road and Utility Improvements
TLC Plumbing and Utility, in partnership with Los Alamos County Public Works and Utilities, have begun mobilizing, setting up traffic control devices, and performing erosion control measures. Minor activities such as utility exploration and contractor staking will be performed. Construction hours are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Traffic will be restricted: it will be closed to thru traffic, and open to 33rd and 34th Street residents only.
The transit bus stop on 33rd will be temporarily closed throughout the duration of the project. Riders can use the transit stop on 35th Street.
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Loma Linda Drive and Rose Street Geotechnical Investigation
NV5, a contractor working for Los Alamos County, will be setting up temporary traffic control devices and performing geotechnical testing on various areas of Loma Linda Drive and Rose Street. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in the areas of testing. Testing will take place for one day beginning at 8 a.m. and should be completed by the end of the day.
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Fuller Lodge Canopy Replacement Project
The main entrance to Fuller Lodge Art Center will be closed intermittently due to overhead work to replace the canopy above the doors. Detour signs will be in place directing patrons to the east side entrance of the Art Center.
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Traffic & Streets Projects:
The projects listed in this section are being managed by County Traffic & Streets Division staff. Please slow down and use caution within the construction work zones. Call Traffic and Streets Manager Daniel Blea for concerns at 505-663-8206.
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Fuller Lodge Parking Lot Asphalt Patching
Weather permitting, crews will be patching sections of asphalt in the Fuller Lodge parking lot. Work will begin Monday, April 17 and continue daily from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Friday April 21.
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Sinkhole Repair on Navajo Road near Los Pueblos Monday through Friday
Weather permitting, crews will continue work to mill and patch damaged asphalt due to a sinkhole located on Navajo Road near Los Pueblos. Work will start at 8 a.m. and end by 3:30 p.m. daily. A flagging operation will be in place.
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Road Striping Continues in White Rock
Weather permitting, crews will continue striping roads in White Rock through the end of May, before moving to the townsite. Work will begin daily at 8 a.m. and end by 4 p.m. Pedestrian and vehicle traffic are urged to stay clear of the striping operation and maintain a safe distance to avoid being sprayed by paint.
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Sidewalk Closure and Shoulder Closure on Diamond Drive
Kelly Cable of New Mexico will be closing the sidewalk along the east side of Diamond Drive between 39th Street and the south entrance to the Redeemer Lutheran Church located at 200 Diamond Drive. Pedestrian traffic will be detoured at 38th Street to the west side of Diamond Drive. Crews will be replacing an existing hand hole for the Los Alamos County Information Management (IM) Department.
For questions regarding this project, please contact Charlie Lovato with Kelly Cable of New Mexico at 505-350-9252 or Nina Fresquez, Los Alamos County IM Program Manager at (505) 663-1989 (work) or (505) 412-5353 (cell).
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Sidewalk Closures on Connie Ave.
Beginning Monday, April 17, crews will be closing sections of sidewalk at 360 Connie Ave. and 423 Connie Ave. to repair two sections of sidewalk. Intermittent flagging operations will occur to accommodate heavy equipment. Crews will begin work daily at 8 a.m. and finish by 3:30 p.m.
For the project at 360 Connie, west bound pedestrian traffic can cross at Aragon Ave. to the south side of the intersection. East bound pedestrian traffic can cross at Cheryl Ave. to the south side of Cheryl Ave.
For the project at 423 Connie, northwest bound pedestrian traffic can cross to the northeast corner of the Connie and Bryce Ave. intersection. East bound traffic can cross to the northeast intersection of Connie and Aragon.
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Utilities Projects:
The projects listed in this section are being managed by Dept. of Public Utilities (DPU) staff. Please slow down and use caution within the construction work zones. Contact the Customer Care Center, (505) 662-8333, CustomerCare@lacnm.us, or visit ladpu.com/Projects.
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Trenching for Electric Continues on Barranca Mesa
Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is replacing primary underground electric lines and conduit at the eastern end of Barranca Mesa. The work will reduce or eliminate the risk of electric outages where the existing infrastructure has a history of repeated failures. The project is expected to continue through April.
DPU’s contractor, Paul Parker Construction Company, is excavating between 410 and 500 Navajo Road and south on Totavi Street. Excavation continues across the intersection of Totavi and Navajo and then through to the end of the Totavi cul-de-sac. Residents in the area should expect sidewalk closures and exercise caution while driving through the work zone. All trenching is on one side of the street.
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Underground line repair on Diamond Drive
A non-potable water line will be repaired at Diamond Drive and 35th Street beginning as early as Tuesday. Parker Construction will be conducting the work, which should take 2 – 3 days and be completed no later than Friday, April 21. DPU plans to close the westbound sidewalk and shoulder on Diamond near the corner for the duration of the repair work. Traffic controls and signage will be in place to notify pedestrians and motorists of the work zone.
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Non-County Projects:
The following road construction updates are posted below in the interest of keeping residents informed but are being managed or conducted by others. Please obey all traffic devices and slowdown in work zones.
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Netflix Productions Inc., Continues Filming at Pajarito Mountain
Netflix Productions Inc. will continue filming, intermittently, on Pajarito Mountain through April 20. Weather permitting, they will begin at 12:00 a.m. and finish by noon. The parking lot at the Ski Basin will be partially closed for staging equipment. There will be a flagging operation in place along Camp May Road to allow for the crew to move across the road as needed. Traffic is urged to watch for flagging crews and slow down. A skeleton crew will remain through the end of May to take down light towers and other equipment used in filming.
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Sidewalk Closure at the Intersection of Camino Uva and Camino Cereza
Kelly Cable, in association with 2 Men 1 Cable, will continue work at the southeast corner of Camino Uva and Camino Cereza. Crews will be boring to replace coaxial cable in this location. Pedestrian traffic will be detoured to the north side of Camino Uva at the following intersections: Camino Uva at Camino Mora, and the southeast corner of Camino Uva and Camino Cereza. Crews will begin daily at 9 a.m. and finish by 4 p.m. For questions regarding this project, please contact Adrian Rivas at 505-225-5967.
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Nature Center Parking Lot Closure for Earth Day Festival
Los Alamos Nature Center will be closing its parking lot Saturday, April 22 for the Earth Day Festival. The Festival begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. Atomic City Transit will be providing transportation to and from the Justice Center and the Nature Center for additional parking. For more information contact Ashleigh Lusher at the Nature Center, 505-662-0460.
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NNSA – Update dated March 31, 2023:
Construction is Continuing on Improvements to NM 4/East Jemez Road Intersection
Crews are continuing construction on a project to improve the intersection of NM 4 and East Jemez Road.
During Phase 1-B, expected to last about two months, through late May 2023, crews are working on both sides of NM 4 as well as on the north shoulder of E. Jemez Road. The following traffic impacts are in place:
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The speed limit throughout the construction area is reduced to 35 MILES PER HOUR. PLEASE OBEY THE SPEED LIMIT.
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Access to the parking area for the Bandelier National Monument Tsankawi Unit is COMPLETELY CLOSED as of Monday, April 3, 2023. No alternate access will be provided while the National Park Service builds a new parking area and access road to align with the improvements being made as part of this project. The new access is expected to be open in late October 2023.
- Crews are removing the median islands and placing detour pavement at the intersection of NM 4 and E. Jemez Road.
- The existing traffic signal will be removed and a temporary signal will be installed.
During construction, all existing travel lanes on NM 4 and E. Jemez Road will remain open during peak travel times – 6:30-8:30 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Any lane closures will occur during non-peak hours and flaggers will direct traffic. All construction is weather permitting and is subject to change without notice.
Motorists are encouraged to slow down and give themselves additional time to reach their destination. More construction phases will follow, with the project expected to be completed in late 2023.
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