Beginning May 22, construction on the Central railroad crossing in Downtown Albuquerque will begin as the center of the Albuquerque Rail Trail.
Terry Brunner, interim director of the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency, said it took a lot of planning, but the agency is ready to transform the underpasses into a new overpass.
He said construction crews will get to work on a new ramp next to the Alvarado Transit Center in the coming weeks, but the roughly $20 million project will also include a second ramp on the other side of the tracks, hopefully opening to the public in early 2026.
As construction begins, Brunner said there shouldn’t be many traffic issues.
The Albuquerque Rail Trail has been a longtime goal of the Chamber.
Terri Cole, GACC president and CEO, says the Rail Trail “supports the mission of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, which is to work with government, business and community partners to promote and develop a welcoming business environment and thriving diverse economy to make our city and state a great place to start and grow a business and a safe and exciting place to work and raise a family.
“For years the Chamber has been a vocal supporter of the proposed 7-mile, heart-shaped urban trail that will allow residents and visitors to walk or bike from the historic Rail Yards to Downtown proper, to Old Town and the Sawmill District, to our museums and BioPark and the beautiful Rio Grande bosque.”