Camp May Road Closures Updated, Construction to Continue Through January

The Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities announced on December 29 that Camp May Road and Camp May would remain closed through 5 p.m. Wednesday this week, then open Thursday through Sunday, and return to a Monday through Thursday closure pattern beginning Monday, January 5. Those weekday closures are scheduled to continue for two weeks, ending Friday, January 16, after which officials expect the closures to be complete for now.

The work is part of the regional Jemez Mountain Fire Protection Project, under which crews are installing new waterlines and conduit for electric and fiber service up to Pajarito Mountain. The road closures first began in April 2025 to allow this infrastructure work to proceed safely. Los Alamos DPU says waterline and conduit installations are expected to be finished by January 19. In spring and early summer officials will place and connect electric and fiber manholes, vaults and boxes, and paving operations to restore Camp May Road will resume in the spring.

DPU is using contractor DUB L EE to perform the construction on Camp May Road and at Pajarito Mountain. Project information is available at ladpu.com/JMFPP. Questions may be directed to Ernesto Gallegos at 505.662.8147 or er.gallegos@lacnm.us.

For residents and visitors, the schedule change means adjusted travel plans for anyone heading to Pajarito Mountain for recreation or work. Motorists should expect reduced weekday access on the road corridor during the first half of January. Local businesses that depend on mountain access, emergency services that stage equipment near Camp May, and residents who use the road for daily travel should account for the altered hours and potential delays through mid January.

The timing reflects a practical choice by DPU to take advantage of favorable weather for construction, after hopes for a fuller ski season proved premature due to dry conditions on the mountain. Beyond immediate disruptions, the project will add resilient water infrastructure and modern electric and fiber conduit that will improve utility reliability, support emergency communications and expand broadband capacity for the area.

The work underscores the balance local authorities must strike between short term access and long term safety and connectivity. As paving and final utility connections move into the spring, the County anticipates restoring normal access while leaving residents better prepared for future fire seasons and able to benefit from upgraded services.