Residents voice fears as proposed road project threatens East Valencia County homes

More than 200 East Valencia County residents packed a community meeting on April 30 to confront a proposed road project that could run through El Cerro-area neighborhoods, take private land and, in some cases, force homes to be removed.

The crowd waited more than 20 minutes before the presentation began, and the concern in the room went far beyond traffic flow. Families said they feared losing land they had bought to hold for future homes, livestock or family use, along with the rural quiet that has defined the area for generations. Water rights and the possibility of a four-lane roadway slicing through established properties hung over the discussion.

The proposal is tied to the Village of Los Lunas’ larger effort to extend Los Lunas Boulevard toward N.M. 47 and eventually connect to Manzano Expressway. That wider transportation push is already reshaping the region. The Los Lunas Boulevard/I-25 Interchange project was about 25% complete on April 16, the first phase is expected to take four years and cost about $160 million, and officials say the new Rio Grande bridge will stretch about 3,000 feet, making it the longest bridge in New Mexico. Village leaders also say the project could move about 43% of traffic off Main Street.

The eastside extension study itself began in October 2023, when Valencia County staff started working with Albuquerque engineering firm Molzen Corbin. On Feb. 18, commissioners initially selected alternatives 6, 7 and 12 as preferred alignments, with county planning materials listing them at 3.15 miles, 3.06 miles and 3.34 miles. Those routes were later reconsidered, and commissioners voted to study more options instead.

That broader review now includes 18 recommended concepts, among them routes that would connect N.M. 47 with Manzano Expressway by way of NM 6 into Meadow Lake and others farther south near El Cerro Mission Road. A March planning sheet showed how disruptive the choices could be, with one revised route using El Cerro Loop and El Cerro Mission Blvd listed at 3.69 miles and crossing 118 parcels and 24 structures or residents. Other revised options crossed between 64 and 80 parcels, underscoring why homeowners along the corridor see the project as a direct threat rather than a simple road improvement.

County grant manager Jeremias Silva said the project is meant to relieve a future traffic pinch point where Los Lunas Boulevard will end at N.M. 47 and give drivers more choices toward Meadow Lake, El Cerro Mission, Monterey Park and Rio Communities. He also said the county wants to minimize right-of-way acquisition, but acknowledged that buying land would be a major hurdle. Silva said the feasibility study could continue through the end of 2027, and the project itself could still be a decade away.

Residents have already organized against the road. More than 160 people gathered in an alfalfa field on April 8, and one homeowner later said the roadway would take two-thirds of his backyard. The public comment period remains open until May 30, giving landowners one more formal chance to press for a route that avoids their homes or to oppose the project outright.