Bernalillo County is preparing for the construction of a highway interchange connecting the Sunport to Broadway Blvd.
The road project has been in the works for years but is just now nearing the end of the planning process. The county says the road will improve access to the South Valley from the airport, and hopes it will spur more business development in the area and make commuting easier for people in the San Jose neighborhood.
Paul Hinckley is the county’s engineering contractor for the project. He says the roadway link will be good for future development.
"It will distribute traffic differently. It may have minor impacts to the area, but those impacts have been addressed," he said.
But neighbors say the new road will increase the number of cars passing through and create more air quality problems in an area already overburdened by industrial pollution.
The county says there are plans to improve Woodward Road nearby, which they say would alleviate traffic congestion on Broadway and mitigate any traffic and pollution issues the project might cause.
A public hearing on the Sunport Boulevard Extension project will take place Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Mountain View Community Center, 201 Prosperity Ave SE.
