ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Coors Boulevard in the South Valley has earned a troubling reputation as one of the deadliest roads in Bernalillo County. Over the past decade, the stretch between Gun Club Road and Blake Road has seen more than 1,200 crashes, resulting in 18 pedestrian deaths and 17 serious injuries.
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Now, the county is taking action. Backed by a $9 million federal grant, officials have launched the Coors Boulevard Pedestrian Safety Project. County engineers have been on the ground to assess the corridor firsthand. “We went out and walked the site ourselves, and it’s just very scary to walk close to a road where people are going 50 or 60 miles per hour—even though the posted speed limit is lower,” said Rodrigo Eichwald, an engineer leading the project. “People still go really fast.”
The mile-and-a-half stretch is lined with businesses, homes, and bus stops, but lacks basic infrastructure for non-drivers. Except for a short section of sidewalk in front of the Las Estancias nursing home, there are almost no sidewalks, crosswalks, or bike lanes along this busy corridor…