After years of study and planning, work on the building of a roundabout in Santa Fe may very well see construction beginning sometime in 2027.
The project, currently in the conceptual design phase, will take in around 2.5 miles at the intersection of South Meadows Road and Agua Fria Street.
The building of the new roundabout folds into a larger ongoing project that is seeing the redesign of the nearby Henry Lynch Road, an effort that also includes a new layout for pedestrian and bicycle routes.
Funding for the design aspect of the project is coming from the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
It is thought that the roundabout will lessen traffic congestion and improve traveling time. Because vehicles will no longer be forced to wait at a stoplight that is currently in place at the intersection, the roundabout is also being touted as a means for cutting carbon emissions.
Some thought has also been given to eliminating any sidewalks that may have earlier been a part of the roundabout vision, in favor of a multi-use trail which would connect the nearby Acequia Trail and the River Trail.
Some reports have indicated that the project has a $22.5 million price tag, with total funding not yet identified.
A report released last year by the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure indicated that the construction of roundabouts nationally has seen a marked increase in the last two decades, although they are often not initially embraced by the public.
The report added, however, that while only upwards of 35% of survey respondents were in favor of roundabouts when they were in the conceptual stage, a strong 63% to 70% supported them once they were built and used.
June 24, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
