A well-travelled route in southern New Mexico that runs from the Texas border heading west to the city of San Antonio, is now in line for big state funding for a refurbishment project.
U.S. Route 380 actually begins just to the northeast of Dallas, Texas, but its New Mexico section runs around 240 miles from Texas to an intersection with Interstate 25 just to the south of Socorro.
A throughway established nearly a century ago, Route 380, which runs through Chaves and Lea counties, is mostly two-lanes slicing through a desert swath of the state, except near the city of Tatum, where for a section it becomes a multi-lane road.
A portion of Route 380 is made up of the Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway, a trail once said to be used by the outlaw otherwise known as William Bonney.
According to the New Mexico Department of Transportation, Route 380, which sometimes sees traffic backups, has long been in need of an upgrade.
This month members of the New Mexico State Legislature voted to approve some $350 million in funding for work on Route 380. The project will see a general improvement of pavement conditions, along with the building of passing lanes along three separate sections of the route.
According to an analysis compiled by the Legislative Finance Committee, those three segments comprise just over 16 miles altogether.
The House Bill 153 legislation asking for funding for the Route 380 project was co-sponsored by five New Mexico lawmakers.
The state’s Transportation Department has earlier stated that it would like to see the project put out to bid by this coming August.
By Garry Boulard
