New Mexico infrastructure criticized

Clovis City Engineer Justin Howalt believes the community is taking the right steps towards improving roadway infrastructure.

But New Mexico's roads, airports, drinking water and other areas of infrastructure were criticized in a recent statewide report from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The ASCE graded New Mexico's state infrastructure average and found that repair and construction funding for the state's infrastructure is inadequate.

An ASCE spokesman said that the report was conducted to point out deficiencies in New Mexico's infrastructure and to bring that to the attention of elected officials and the national public.

"Our roads are probably with that C average, however, our community has taken many positive steps with roadway infrastructure," Howalt said. "The city commission just approved a $9 million bond to upgrade two roadways (Martin Luther King Jr. and Norris Street)."

The report found that the service life of New Mexico roads has decreased over time, but roads are well maintained due to the smaller population.

"New roads we design for a 20-25 year life span with common maintenance as far as crack sealing and bond sealing on new roadways," Howalt said.

He added that improvements for the city's roads needs to come from all three levels of government to improve their C grade.

Portales Public Works Director John DeSha said the city's roads are not in bad shape but do need to be improved.

"We redid 18th Street and it's a very good road," DeSha said. "Community Development Block Grant projects help with funding. You can expect to get 7 to 10 years (service life) with proper maintenance for roads, depending on how they're used."

The report says deficiencies are largely the result of age and a lack of investment in improving and maintaining them.

The engineers recommended the state consider tolls, user fees and other methods to fund improvements.

New Mexico's potable water received a C-, according to the report. It said ground water is being depleted in many locations and engineers suggest emphasizing decreasing dependence on groundwater and an increase water conservation, groundwater recharging and finding alternate potable water sources.

DeSha said that their findings are nothing new. He feels Portales has made strong efforts in conserving water.

"We're serious about our conservation plans and projects," DeSha said, citing the new water metering system as an example.

He added that projects such as the proposed Ute Lake pipeline project will put the city in the right direction for water conservation.

When it comes to the state's airports, the report says New Mexico's airports receive only about 66 percent of the funding they need and are experiencing a steady decline. Airports received an overall grade of a D+.

"The Clovis Airport right now is in pretty good shape," said Airport Director Gene Bieker. "The only thing it does not have is a full security fence."

Bieker did note that business has been on the decline with the rise in cost of air fuel and because the FAA has changed the amount of participation in airport upgrades from 95 percent of funding to 90 percent.

"That will affect what we have to pay now in Clovis," Bieker said.

He added Clovis has a few projects underway to upgrade the airport and said they have just finished the extension of the runways.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.