Gallup eyes ways to improve traffic flow

By Kevin Killough
Staff writer

GALLUP — Finding funding for various infrastructure projects in Gallup dominated last night’s City Council meeting.

There were more than a dozen proposals for improvements competing for limited funding. In order to focus lobbying efforts when the 2008 Legislature convenes in January, Public Works Director Stan Henderson suggested in a memorandum to the city that three to five projects be selected as priorities. At the meeting, Henderson repeated the suggestion.

“We should try not to concentrate our eggs in one basket,” Henderson said.

In addition to the priority projects, the city will pursue funding to complete two projects adding railway crossings at the center of town and at the Allison Corridor. The city has already spent thousands on design, and both have Rep. Patricia Lundstrom’s sponsorship in the Legislature.

Other projects the council agreed to make priorities include the new police administration building, which will house both the Gallup Police Department and McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and the Second Street and Park Avenue traffic signal project.

“Someone’s going to have an accident there,” Councilor Pat Butler said of the Second and Park Avenue intersection.

The project estimate is about $1 million, and the Municipal Arterial Program requires the city cover 25 percent of the project. Including funds provided by the program, the project has a funding shortfall of $666,875.

Other projects that will be given priority are a project to add a traffic signal at Toltec Drive and U.S. Highway 66, and the addition of artificial turf to the Tony Dorsett Football League Field, which will save a large amount of water for the city.

Other projects, which will continue to be pursued but not given focus, include the Hospital Drive reconstruction project and the sidewalk construction projects in northern Gallup around Sky City Park. Both projects were determined to serve fewer residents than the priority projects.