ABQ Times

Bernalillo County's Public Works team has been recognized with the 2024 Southwest Best Projects Award of Merit by Engineering News-Record magazine. The award, given in the Highway/Bridge category, honors the Sunport Boulevard extension project. The accolade was received during a ceremony held in Phoenix earlier this month.

The magazine, known globally within the construction industry, evaluated projects based on criteria such as innovation, teamwork, community service, safety, and overall design and construction quality.

The Sunport Boulevard extension project began in May 2020 with a budget of $26.9 million. It involved connecting Broadway and I-25 at the Sunport Boulevard Interchange and included improvements along Broadway; Woodward Avenue to Second Street, featuring a new traffic signal and an enhanced quiet rail crossing. The project was completed and opened to the public on June 2, 2023.

Brian Lopez, BernCo Public Works Technical Services Director, praised the team's efforts: “The success of the Sunport Boulevard extension project can be attributed to the dedication and thorough attention to detail of the entire project team.” He highlighted their effective communication with stakeholders and contractors as well as their ability to overcome challenges efficiently as key factors for completing the project on time and within budget.

Award recipients from Bernalillo County included Andrew Pacheco (project manager), Leila Momenzadeh (project engineer), Rodrigo Eichwald (Engineering Program manager), and Brian Lopez (Technical Services director).