By: Chad Corley
“Southern Boulevard is at the heart of Rio Rancho,” said Savina Garcia, project manager for consulting engineer Wilson and Co., “It’s a very important corridor.”
Understanding the gravity of keeping this aging route in good working condition, the city is reconstructing the heavily trafficked roadway to improve congestion and safety for residents and businesses.
Completed at the end of 2019, the first of three phases in the reconstruction process features a four-lane road with turn lanes and median, bicycle lanes, intersection improvements, signing and striping, a multi-use trail and a sidewalk, traffic signals, lighting, utilities and landscaping. This new stretch of Southern Boulevard between New Mexico State Road 528 and Gold Course Road has the benefit of long-term protection provided by a Rinker Materials storm water management system expertly installed in shallow cover and next to an existing sewer system by New Concepts, Inc.
“With flat terrain that limited cover to less than two feet over the storm drain, the best option was precast reinforced concrete boxes that can accommodate high volumes of water under heavy vehicle loads” said Stew Waller, regional engineer for Rinker Materials.
For the rest of the story on this project, head on over to Storm Water Solutions, a Roads & Bridges supplement and the leading publication on storm water and erosion control industry trends, technical solutions, and best practices.
