4TH STREET CORRIDOR

The 4th Street Project is located within the north valley of the Albuquerque metropolitan area with the Village of Los Ranchos. What started initially as a street light project, eventually became a 2.6-mile-long master plan for revitalizing a major corridor which had issues relating to pedestrian safety, drainage stagnation (due to a very flat roadway), and roadway pavement in need of repair.

The master plan consisted of streetscape design of decorative sidewalks, overhead lighting, landscaping, pavement overlay, and green stormwater infrastructure. The innovative green infrastructure techniques designed would allow the drainage to be used for streetscape irrigation. Specifically utilizing Plaza Permeable Pavers as a decorative gutter that would convey the stormwater to landscape wicks for watering any landscaping along the corridor. The master plan went through a rigorous process of neighborhood input for what the community would like to see in the project and close coordination with the Village Mayor and Trustees was considered through the whole process.

The first half mile of the project was designed, and construction was completed in the spring of 2020. Careful and close coordination with the contractor was required throughout the whole construction process, as the workspace of the corridor was very narrow and working with the local dry utility companies was imperative for conflict resolutions in the field. The project today is open for vehicular and pedestrian access and has become a safer corridor to pass through. The drainage ponding concerns have also been alleviated with the green infrastructure functioning as planned.

Company : City of Albuquerque

Location : Albuquerque, NM