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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Pinto

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

02/11/2006

HB

SHORT TITLE

Unexpended Funds For Certain Highway Projects SJM 66

ANALYST Moser

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

NM Department of Transportation (NMDOT)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of SJM 66

Senate Joint Memorial 66 requests the New Mexico Department of Transportation to use in

FY07 unexpended funds for certain highway projects.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The bill establishes that the DOT apply any unexpended funds in fiscal year 2007 to the outlined

highway projects but does not address costs associated with design, development and construc-

tion.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Senate Joint Memorial 66 proposes that unexpended funds from the state road fund and from

federal transportation funds in fiscal year 2007 be applied to the following road projects in listed

order of priority:

1.

One hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) for rehabilitation, reconstruction and widen-

ing of US 491 in San Juan and McKinley counties

2.

Six million dollars ($6,000,000) for road improvements to Navajo route 55 in Cibola and

Socorro counties

3.

Nine million dollars ($9,000,000) for rehabilitation to Navajo route 36 in San Juan

county

4.

Three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for pavement reconstruction to Navajo route

545 in San Juan county

5.

One million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,750,000) to complete renovation of

the Tse Bonito ridge road bridge in McKinley County

NMDOT indicates that it is unlikely that unexpended funds will be available in any event that

would afford the opportunity to apply to these projects

Senate Joint Memorial Bill 66 – Page 2

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

The NMDOT indicates that the first listed project on US 491 is currently funded as part of Gov-

ernor Richardson’s Investment Partnership (GRIP) in the total amount of $125,344,000 which is

made up of GRIP funds ($101,750,000) and STIP funds ($23,594,000). This would add an addi-

tional 2 lanes making the US 491 a 4 lane highway. However, it would not provide for the reha-

bilitation or reconstruction of the existing two lanes.

NMDOT further points out that the remaining four listed projects are off the state highway sys-

tem. As such, no current data exists with regards to an actual defined scope of work, project ter-

mini, current status or engineering estimates. Consequently, an evaluation as to the costs or

timelines associated with developing these projects is not possible at this time.

GM/mt