The East Aztec Arterial project, in the planning and beginning stages for over two decades, finally appears ready to begin by going to bid.

About 2½ miles remain to be completed, but the terrain will require major engineering and earth moving, plus dealing with utility and gas lines.

Jeff Blackburn, in his first year as Aztec city manager, said in a phone interview that “there’s a lot to learn.”

Blackburn was at a training in Santa Fe when interviewed. The training, held by the New Mexico Municipal League, that was attended by city managers and elected officials from around the state. He said he had recently received an email from the NMDOT project manager that addressed several “small certifications” related to the project.

Blackburn estimated that the idea has been around since the 1990s. Feasibility studies began in 2007 and were followed by the completion of Phase 1-A in 2009. This phase created a paved road off Highway 173 toward what became Tiger Park Sports Complex in 2010, and marked the beginning of the arterial project.

Phase 1-B began in 2011 with the construction of the arterial route heading northeast off Highway 550, just east of Aztec.

Phase 2 recently passed the New Mexico Department of Transportation review. DOT’s role is oversight of the federal dollars, the process and standards.

“We should be going to bid really quickly,” Blackburn said, but declined to set a date in stone. “It gets me in trouble every time,” he said, referring to setting a specific date. He added it appears to be close to going out to bid, though.

“I agree that the ball is in our court and we’re really glad that NMDOT is on the court with us and ready to go,” Blackburn said.

Blackburn said these projects sometimes take “years and years to get the money, the idea and the preliminary engineering.” He said it will still take at least a couple of years to get the last 2½ miles completed.

City of Aztec project manager, Jeric Jaramillo, said a Plans, Specs and Engineering meeting will take place June 8 and will be a final review. He confirmed that the landfill issue remains to be rectified, but a waste management plan has been prepared by Souder-Miller and Associates in 2019.

The removal of trash that was found in the corridor will be the step one when construction begins, Jaramillo said. Utility certifications have all been completed and reviewed by NMDOT.

Jaramillo said the city is working with Enterprise Products Operating L.P., who will handle the relocation of a gas line. There remains a couple of confirmations of impacts from telephone and communication lines and rail certification, Jaramillo said.

“Our engineer has estimated 18 to 24 months for the completion of the project,” Jaramillo said.

Many Aztec citizens are eager to see the project completed.

“I think it will bring more business,” said Susan Aguirre, seven-year owner of Lil Aztec Flower Shop, 101 N. Main St. “It will take off the large oil field trucks … water trucks. They come down the hill from Bloomfield and they gain speed, so sometimes it’s hard for them to negotiate. I believe we can tie it all together to have more businesses ‘walkable’. I live on the top of my business and the big trucks just shake the building.”

The project is expected to significantly decrease heavy oil and gas truck traffic. Those trucks coming from Highway 550 from Bloomfield, heading to Highway 173 (Navajo Dam Road) will be able to take the bypass to shorten the distance and avoid downtown Aztec.

Blackburn said the final stretch of the project will be to redo the final stretch of NM 173 from Tiger Park, past the water treatment plant, to Highway 550 east of Aztec. Jaramillo confirmed in a phone interview that the NM173 redo will be an entirely new project.

Budgetary considerations appear to be resolved, the original figure of $18 million is projected to be adequate. “That is what we’re hearing. … Again we’re relying on an engineer’s estimate and he’s saying we’re well within that amount,” Blackburn said.

Blackburn said they had to be within a contingency amount, but since NMDOT is committed to the project, “if there are cost overruns, we think our partners there are going to help us.”

Paul Brasher, NMDOT District 5 engineer, said, “The design is complete. I think there is some action needed by the city of Aztec. … They’re taking the lead on this.”

A landfill was encountered in the proposed bypass route, “but I believe they managed to mitigate that,” Brasher said. Completion of the project “will really be a great contribution to the circulation in the community,” he said.

Brasher said he was not in a position to predict exactly when things would get underway. “There’s some things Aztec’s got to do … before it gets going,” he said.

“It’s a difficult corridor … I walked the centerline of it today (June 2) and it’s got a lot of terrain, a lot of hills and valleys, a lot of arroyos to cross,” Brasher said, and “serious earthwork.” He added that there are utilities and gas lines that will have to be dealt with as well.