City awards contract to reconstruct Enchanted Hills Blvd.

The Rio Rancho Governing Body awarded a contract to Albuquerque Asphalt Co. at the July 27 regular meeting that would reconstruct Enchanted Hills Blvd. from Chayote Road to NM 528.

The project will take about 10 months to complete from the need to proceed date, which has not been revealed. An Invitation for Bid (IFB) was issued, and the city received one of bid. The proposed contract for Albuquerque Asphalt, Inc., totals $8,942,658.71, including NMGRTs. The project is funded by the city’s General Obligation Funds, New Mexico of Transportation Project Fund (TPF) grant funds and Utilities Department funds.

The road has been a subject of unrest for some that live in Enchanted Hills.

Tom Dixon, a resident in Enchanted Hills, is anxious for the project to finish.

“I am incredulous at the time frame of 10 months. I would think that they could complete this project in a shorter time frame than 10 months. That’s incredible to me. What is the explanation for that?” Dixon said.

City Engineer BJ Gottlieb said that 10 months is actually a pretty reasonable timeframe in which a road can be completed as the road is two and a half miles and crews could encounter some issues.

“It is an El Niño summer, which usually brings higher volumes of snow in the winter. We can’t pave in the snow. As much as it pains me to say that it is 10 months, it is a long road, it’s a lot of paving, it’s a lot of utility work. There’s a bridge that has to be done,” Gottlieb said.

Mayor Gregg Hull added that NM 528 took almost two years to complete.

The Enchanted Hills Boulevard Reconstruction project includes full-depth roadway reconstruction and a new water line and sanitary sewer installations, including water and sewer services from Chayote Road to Augusta Hills Drive.

In addition, new bridge joint seals will be installed, the existing asphalt pedestrian path will be reconstructed, damaged curb will be replaced, and improvements to existing curb ramps will be remediated to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

As with all projects, the contractor suffers financial loss if the project is not completed on time.

Specifics on the project can be read in the agenda packet for the July 27 Governing Body Regular Meeting on the city’s website.