MILAN, N.M. – Cibola County motorists are encountering roadwork on NM 6 this week, while a second New Mexico Department of Transportation project is scheduled to begin Thursday, Sept. 3, on NM 53 south of Grants.
Work began Monday on NM 6 east of Highland Meadows, where NMDOT District Six and Highland Enterprise Inc. are applying a rubberized fog seal to 18 miles of highway between mile markers 0 and 18.
Crews are scheduled to work from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. A flagger and pilot-car operation will be used to move traffic through the work zone, and motorists should plan for minor delays.
NM 6 connects Interstate 40 near Laguna with Interstate 25 at Los Lunas, making the route an important connection for Cibola County residents traveling to Valencia County and the Albuquerque metro area.
Beginning Thursday, motorists south of Grants will also encounter construction on NM 53.
NMDOT District Six and Cutler Repaving Inc. will place a 1.5-inch asphalt overlay on approximately seven miles of NM 53 between mile markers 56.2 and 63.2. The work will cover both directions of the highway.
NMDOT said the NM 53 rehabilitation represents a $2 million investment in roadway and safety improvements.
Crews are scheduled to work from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Drivers should expect minor delays and allow additional time when traveling through the construction area.
Both projects are expected to be completed by the end of September, weather permitting.
The projects address the highways in different ways. On NM 53, crews will install a new asphalt layer to rehabilitate the roadway surface. The rubberized fog seal being applied on NM 6 is a pavement-preservation treatment intended to protect and extend the life of the existing roadway.
NMDOT is asking motorists traveling through either construction zone to slow down, obey posted signs and traffic-control personnel, and watch for workers and equipment.
Drivers can check current construction and highway conditions at NMRoads.com or by calling 511.