HOUSE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE MEMORIAL 89

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2009

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO ASSIST VALENCIA COUNTY TO IDENTIFY FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A RAILWAY OVERPASS ON STATE ROUTE 109 NEAR JARALES IN VALENCIA COUNTY.

     WHEREAS, state route 109 provides ingress to and egress from the south-central part of Valencia county for hundreds of residents of Valencia county; and

     WHEREAS, state route 109 intersects with the transcontinental rail line; and

     WHEREAS, vehicular traffic on state route 109 exceeds two thousand four hundred vehicle trips per day; and

     WHEREAS, the vehicular traffic on state route 109 experiences an average of nine hours per day of delay because of the one hundred ten trains per day that cross the intersection with state route 109; and

     WHEREAS, delays to the motoring public and emergency responders pose a significant threat to the health, safety and welfare of those who use state route 109; and

     WHEREAS, a grade-separated intersection would provide uninterrupted traffic flow for passenger vehicles, emergency vehicles and trains; and

     WHEREAS, the department of transportation has conducted an analysis of this crossing and agrees that a railway overpass would significantly reduce traffic congestion on state route 109; and

     WHEREAS, no known federal, state or local funding is currently available to design and construct a railway overpass on state route 109;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the department of transportation be requested to assist Valencia county to identity potential funding sources for the design and construction of an overpass over the BNSF railroad on state route 109 just south of Lazy lane near Jarales in Valencia county; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the secretary of transportation, the Valencia county commission and the Valencia county manager.

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