West Loop Road intersection opens as overall construction heads into final weeks
An intersection with a major street and a west side road about to connect two major highways near Carlsbad is open, according to Eddy County Public Works Director Jason Burns.
He said the intersection of Lea Street and the West Loop Road opened April 14 as box culverts and paving was complete.
“It is working very well. It is a new and improved intersection it’s very nice,” he said April 18 to the Eddy County Board of County Commissioners.
More: Eddy County continues to mull options for road linking major highways around Carlsbad
“We’re looking forward to the next six weeks to having the whole thing complete,” Burns said of the construction which began nearly two years ago.
The West Loop Road would connect U.S. Highway 285 with U.S. Highways 62/180 and has been in the works for nearly 30 years, Burns said.
He said cost of the West Loop Road was $18 million, a project paid for through a partnership of the City of Carlsbad and Eddy County.
“Clearly, our city has grown a lot over the past few years, and additional roads are needed to help with through traffic,” said City of Carlsbad Deputy City Administrator KC Cass.
“Specifically, this will divert truck traffic away from Lea Street, where several schools exist, and reduce congestion in this area,” he added.
Burns said the West Loop Road has nearly seven miles of new pavement along with new intersections and new drainage outlets.
He said construction crews were placing a base course or a sub-layer of material on the new asphalt along with chip sealing as the project wraps up.
Cass said the West Loop Road is a safety improvement for the City of Carlsbad and Eddy County.
More: City, County and NMDOT move to finish loop roads connecting major highways
“In addition to the concerns over Lea Street, as past experiences have shown, having multiple routes through town is especially critical in the event of a flood,” Cass said.
West Loop Road prime spot for commercial development?
On April 11 the Carlsbad City Council approved a zone change for two parcels of property at 3618 and 3619 Harvest Lane. Both properties constitute more than 20 acres of land within the West Loop Road boundaries.
The property owners, Thaddeus Winn and Tara Lamb of Los Lunas, requested the zoning change from Rural Residential District (R-R) to Commercial (C-2) 2 District, according to city documents.
The City of Carlsbad defined R-R as areas accommodating agricultural, ranching and natural resource uses and very low-density residential uses, until other development is appropriate, read City of Carlsbad zoning rules.
C-2 accommodates community and regional-scale retail and commercial uses, according to zoning regulations. C-2 uses are regulated to be compatible with surrounding uses and existing infrastructure.
During the April 11 meeting, City of Carlsbad Planning Director Jeff Patterson said Winn and Lamb would either subdivide the land or sell it.
Winn said Ashley Curbello of Century 21 Associated Professionals in Carlsbad was contracted to sell the land by he and Lamb for commercial purposes.
Curbello said the new highway goes through the property owned by Winn and Lamb, and that the the properties on Harvest Lane and other parts of the Western Loop Bypass are prime places for commercial development.
“There’s a good possibility to grow. It’s pretty big, it gives new options to other locations,” she said.
Curbello said with semitrailers driving around Carlsbad on the West Loop Road there could be a need for businesses catering to all kinds of traffic.
“Broadly speaking, businesses want to invest in communities with healthy traffic patterns, and in communities with governments who display a commitment to future growth,” Cass said.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.
Others are reading:
http://City of Carlsbad approves land donation to Eddy County
http://Eddy County approves emergency fund for phase two process of Southeast Loop Road work
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Carlsbad West Loop intersection construction near completion
