US 70 rehabilitation north of Lordsburg prompts week of Feb. 8-15 advisories

Mountain States Constructors, Inc. is continuing a roadway rehabilitation project on US 70 from mile marker 29.17 (Redrock) to mile marker 25.17, just north of Lordsburg, creating traffic controls that will affect local drivers and commercial haulers. The work is reported as daytime with possible weekend operations, and motorists should prepare for reduced speeds, pilot-car operations and potential delays.

Motorists have been told to slow down and follow on-site controls. "Drivers are urged to reduce speed and obey all traffic control devices." Oversize and overweight loads will be barred from the corridor during the work. One advisory explicitly states, "Oversize and overweight loads will not be permitted on this route during this time," and another recommends that "Commercial Vehicles are requested to seek an alternate route." Temporary traffic signals, flagging and pilot cars are cited as part of the control plan; one notice adds, "A temporary traffic signal, flagging and pilot car operation will be in place 24/7, and speed limits will be reduced to 35 mph or lower."

Travelers should also account for longer-than-normal waits. "Traffic control has longer than normal wait time, please use patience and wait for the pilot car, currently there is a 30-to-45-minute wait time." Reported contractor hours vary in the advisories: one item lists "Contractor's working hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the possibility of weekend work," while a second item lists "Contractor working hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the possibility of weekend work." That discrepancy underscores the need for drivers and freight operators to confirm hours before travel.

Complicating traffic planning for local and through drivers is conflicting information about Interstate 10 at Exit 24 near Lordsburg. One advisory stated, "The Interstate 10 bridge at Exit 24 near Lordsburg has reopened to traffic after it was damaged when a vehicle carrying an excavator struck it in March 2025." Another advisory, however, reported that "The I-10 lanes and bridge at Exit 24 near Lordsburg, NM, are closed and will remain closed after being struck by a commercial vehicle carrying an excavator," and added that "Westbound traffic is being rerouted off and back on at the exit ramp, no delays for eastbound traffic." Officials have yet to consolidate those reports; travelers should verify current I-10 status before routing through Lordsburg.

The US 70 work fits within a broader wave of regional projects that include I-25 and I-10 rehabilitation efforts, localized lighting upgrades on NM 273 funded through the NMDOT Highway Safety Improvement Program, and other US 70 segments under separate contracts. One planning note for a safety-funded project reads, "This project has been funded through the NMDOT Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and will be let for construction in the Winter of 2025."

For Hidalgo County residents and businesses, the immediate impacts are slower travel times, constrained freight movement, and heightened enforcement risk in work zones. Local government and the contractor should clarify daily work hours, confirm whether pilot-car waits apply to this US 70 segment or to a nearby NM 26 project, and publish up-to-the-minute lane status for I-10 Exit 24. In the meantime, follow posted signs, allow extra travel time on routes to and from Lordsburg, and monitor official travel advisories since "PLEASE NOTE: Conditions are subject to change without notice.