A four-week project on Redondo Loop to make the road more suitable for pedestrians, motorists and bicyclists is well under way this summer.
With temperatures at a high of 97 degrees on Thursday, construction workers took to repaving the road east of Johnson Field. The project, which involves patching of existing asphalt, concrete collar installation around utility valves, fresh pavement marking and sign enhancement is likely to be finished by the middle of July.
“We chose to complete this project during the summer when there is less campus activity, and when the renovation would be least disruptive to students,” said Willie West, associate director at the Physical Plant Department (PPD).
Although access is not denied to the entirety of Redondo, there are lane closures and reductions, he said. Pedestrians are advised to avoid areas being worked on and follow traffic signs. Vehicles that normally enter main campus from Girard Boulevard are advised to enter at Yale Boulevard instead.
“We will make every accommodation to get people where they need to be while we work around Popejoy events and summer programs at Johnson gym,” West said, who apologized about the inconvenience of obstructed traffic.
Pat Arte, a UNM student employee, maneuvered around construction trucks and orange cones with signals from a traffic director near Coronado Hall on Thursday.
“I drive down Redondo weekly and so far the construction isn’t bad. I got through just fine,” Arte said.
While PPD seeks to minimize the impact of the project as best they can, it also seeks ways to help the improvements last, West said.
“We’re using a product that is more sustainable than paint to mark the pavement,” he said. “We won’t have to repaint every year, which saves time and money.”
The new pavement markings are made with a product called thermoplastic that lasts up to ten years, West said. Another way that PPD is saving money is by recycling the old asphalt from Redondo and using it for the dirt parking lots for campus vehicles around UNM.
This helps control the dust and dirt run-off in these areas, lowering vehicle maintenance costs, he said
While money for PPD maintenance repair usually comes from an operational budget, West said PPD uses allocations from the State Legislature for the Redondo project.
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“Every year the state gives us money for larger projects outside our normal maintenance budget,” he said. Outside contractors were hired for this project, which utilizes a price agreement issued by Albuquerque Public Schools for $145,000.
When asked about the occupational hazard of working in the heat, West said outside contractors have their own safety plan.
Bruce Cherrin, chief procurement officer of UNM’s Purchasing Department, said he returned with tar on his boots from the site Thursday after crossing Redondo road to get to Johnson Gym.
“It’s a tough week to be doing that type of work,” Cherrin said.
The same day, two workers wearing bandanas under their helmets to protect their skin from the sun took a break from physical exertion under the shade of a tree. One directed traffic with a face white of sunscreen. “It is critical that workers stay hydrated under these conditions,” said West.
Another PPD project set to be finished by the middle of July involves making the hand rails of UNM’s stairs and ramps meet the American Disability Act (ADA), he said.
Hand rails in some areas of UNM were installed prior to the ADA, West said. “The hand rails need to both be up to ADA standards and meet the building codes, which can be a challenge when requirements can sometimes conflict,” he said.
One ADA requirement is that skateboard deferments on hand rails be removed.
PPD answers service and project requests from students, faculty and guests as quickly as possible, sometimes with temporary repairs until permanent renovation is possible. Requests can be made at The Physical Plant Department’s website or by phone at (505) 277-1600.
UNM’s Parking and Transportation Services posts traffic updates on UNM News Minute and Twitter. Parking and Transportation’s twitter account is the best place to look for prompt notifications of road closures and construction.
With a surface safer for bicyclists and crosswalks of higher visibility, high traffic Redondo will be less risky to travel on upon completion of this project.
“UNM is a very busy place,” West said. “Our priority is to keep the campus safe.”
