David Wilson, a consultant with Souder-Miller, was engaged by the New Mexico Department of Transportation to review the safety of the new interchange. At 5PM on Wednesday, August 13, 2014, Mr. Miller will present his draft findings at the Placitas Public Library. Seating will be limited.
If you would like to submit your story or concerns as a comment to this Forum article, please do so and all information will be communicated to DOT and Mr. Miller.
At the August 2nd ES-CA Annual Meeting, a show of hands strongly indicated that residents of Placitas believe that the intersection is less safe than before the reconstruction.
This is the most dangerous intersection I have ever tried to navigate thru. It is a mass collision waiting to happen…not ‘if’ but ‘when’. It is especially dangerous at night when it is impossible to make out where all those dotted lines are leading you. Coming from the opera the other night, I was facing oncoming traffic at the light. Luckily those drivers knew to swerve in the correct lanes to get them headed west on 550. I have been in many large cities in the US and Europe and have never seen an interchange so poorly designed.
The acceleration lane to east 165 is a must for cars and trucks. It should have been in the master plan.
The NMDOT needs to install larger signage for vehicles driving East on Hwy 550 and making a left turn to go onto I-25 North. The signage on the medium is small and once the vehicles proceed up the hill to the left turn lane, the signage again is too small. Vehicles often make left turns to go to Santa Fe from the middle lane on the bridge before the traffic. This lane is intended to proceed East to HWY 165.