The NMDOT is in the design development stage for the NM 31 and NM 128 Alignment Study and Design-Build Project in Eddy and Lea Counties. The NM 31 portion of the project extends 22 miles from its junction with US 285 to US 62. The NM 128 extends 60 miles from NM 31 through the City of Jal to the Texas state line. A separate project (CN 2104490) will be delivered to improve the intersection of US 285 and NM 31 by upgrading it with a new signal system and is targeting construction in 2022 for that project.

Both NM 31 and NM 128 traverse Bureau of Land Management, State Land Office, and private lands, mainly serving the oil and gas industry. Initial evaluations have determined that the highways need pavement improvements, additional lanes and shoulders, passing lanes, sight distance/vertical alignment improvements, and drainage improvements. The study phase will document the existing conditions, identify traffic and safety areas of concern, investigate sensitive cultural and biological resources, seek public and agency feedback, identify improvement alternatives and arrive at a recommended improvement alternative. The study will also create a priority implementation plan consisting of a phased approach to delivering all the improvements, should funding levels require multiple construction contracts.

NMDOT has selected the first phase of improvements to be delivered using the Design-Build procurement methodology.  This provides maximum funding flexibility for NMDOT and its’ partners and allows NMDOT to aggressively move towards starting construction of the improvements sooner. This is possible as NMDOT needs to complete 30% of the design, in the form of an Enhanced Conceptual Design, before it is released to potential Design-Build Contractors for bidding, and thereafter to the selected Design-Build Contractor for completion. This streamlined approach to design significantly shortens the timeline for the start of construction. NMDOT’s last use of Design-Build was for the Paseo Del Norte/I-25 interchange reconstruction project in Albuquerque.