2017/06/27

June 14, 2017, Soledad Canyon Road Project Meeting Notes

Talavera Community Association

Many thanks to Steve Tarro and Helen Foster, TCA Treasurer and Vice President, for summarizing the Soledad Canyon Road Project Meeting held 6/14/2017 at the Farm and Ranch Museum.

Proposed: The 2017* plan will have one “multi-use” asphalt path on the south side of Soledad Canyon Road, fitting within the current easement / right of way.

Shoulder would double as an official bike path. It “may” have a bicycle stenciled in the bike lane.

Multi-use path will be separated from the shoulder/bike path by a 5′ wide gravel “French Drain.”

Construction will be very similar to the work recently done on Dripping Springs as they will be using the same firm to do the work.

There will be NO bridges or constructed concrete culverts, only “low water crossings. There may be a few drain pipes culverts under the road but the budget will not support bridges or concrete culverts.

The road will follow the current vertical contours of the road albeit with “minor leveling.” Some high spots may be shaved down a bit. Some low spots may see minor filling in.

Some discussion about moving the stop sign at Achenbach and Soledad, from the west bound intersection to the north bound intersection, making it a “no stop” turn.

Road engineers suggested County change speed limit to 35mph. The County did not seem enthusiastic about this change. The speed limit will be the same for all of Soledad Canyon.

The engineering firm is aware that the City of Las Cruces will be installing natural gas lines “soon,” and will not start repaving until city gas installation is completed.

Soledad Canyon repaving projected start date is 4th Qtr 2018 as a 2019 project (although this is a “fast track” project that could start earlier).

*The 2015 plan with bike paths on either side of the road would require purchasing right of ways along Soledad and not in county budget. Dripping Springs is NOT included in any of this repaving project.