Traffic across Rio Grande river crossings in the Albuquerque metropolitan area has surged to record levels, jumping from approximately 500,000 vehicles daily in 2014 to nearly 580,000 in 2024, according to new data released by the Mid-Region Council of Governments.
The 16% increase over the past decade represents the highest river crossing volumes since tracking began in 1984, when daily crossings totaled roughly 200,000 vehicles — less than half current levels. The growth comes despite elevated work-from-home rates that have persisted since the pandemic.
The record traffic underscores decades of worsening congestion across the metropolitan area, where daily vehicle miles traveled has now reached an all-time high of 27.8 million miles, a sevenfold increase from 3.8 million in 1970…