Major project on Central in southeast Albuquerque looks to make road safer for pedestrians
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Get ready for the biggest revamp of Central Ave. since the ART project. A three-mile stretch east of Louisiana Blvd. will soon be the focus of a slew of pedestrian-focused safety upgrades.
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The city said in the next few months, crews will narrow driving lanes, add new crosswalks, lights, and more on east Central Ave., with the goal of slowing cars and helping protect pedestrians.
'There are no buffers here. Cars are going fast here. The message that we are getting here today is that it's a highway in the middle of the city. So, by doing the road diet, I'm changing the passenger of the road, changing the speed limit, and adding some buffers and extra hawk lights. We will change the message of the road to drivers,' said Dan Mayfield, Public Information Officer for the City of Albuquerque's Department of Municipal Development.
DMD said the road diet will cut down driving lanes on Central Ave. between Louisiana and Juan Tabo, from three to two lanes in each direction.
That third driving lane will turn into a 'BAT lane' or 'Business Access and Transit lane.' That means no through traffic and only buses or cars turning right can use the 'bat lane.'
They're also adding several mid-block crossings on Central, including two 'HAWK' signals east of Eubank Blvd., cutting the distance people have to walk to get to a safe crossing.
'We want to make sure that pedestrians know once we add the mid-block crossings, once we add the HAWK signals, once we add the new technology of red lights, it's way more convenient to cross at an approved intersection and cross at a crosswalk then it is to try to dart across the street which is unsafe,' continued Mayfield.
The city said the project will also add over 200 solar-powered pedestrian lights. The $3 million project is now out for bid. Once they pick a contractor, it should take about three to four months to complete, with a goal of getting the whole project done by the end of summer.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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