Commission approves Artesia road projects

By ROB LARSON
Daily Press Staff Writer
With two other road construction projects already slated to begin this summer, the Eddy County Commission unanimously approved two separate projects to repair one-mile strips of 13th Street Tuesday morning.
The plans call for pavement rehabilitation on Fairgrounds Road from 13th Street east to U.S. 285, then beginning at U.S. 285 east to Johnson Road. The projects have a combined estimated cost of approximately $640, 847. … For the rest of the story, subscribe in print and on the web.
With the state paying 75 percent and the county covering the rest, the projects will cost Eddy County a total of $160, 211. If either project goes over budget, the county will make up the difference, according to the county’s resolutions.
According to a letter sent from Celeste Rogers of the New Mexico Department of Transportation to County Manager Allen Sartin, the repairs on both sections of 13th Street are “warranted due to increased traffic volumes from oil and gas activities,” as both are considered “major” arterials through Artesia.
Commissioner Jack Volpato asked if the sequestration would affect either of the projects, but Debra Hicks, principal engineer for Pettigrew and Associates, said the DOT told her to “plan on approximately the same amount of money as last year.”
Commissioner Glenn Collier also pointed out to Hicks that, if the projects begin this summer, they should be aware of the reconstruction on 13th Street between Hermosa Drive and Richey Avenue and plan accordingly.