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City officials confirmed on Friday that the New Mexico Department of Transportation will allocate $3 million toward the project's initial phase in 2015.
That phase will include a full rebuild of the intersection of Pinon Hills Boulevard and Main Street, and an extension of the boulevard to Hubbard Road.
"We have known these funds were coming," said Mayor Tommy Roberts. "They're earmarked for the intersection of Pinon Hills Boulevard and Main Street. We didn't know when they would be allocated."
Although the construction marks only one step of the larger project, Roberts said the news of funding is a significant development.
"Three million dollars is a significant amount of money," he said. "It's going to go a long way."
The work on Pinon Hills Boulevard will involve laying asphalt, reconfiguring street lights, modifying drainage, upgrading street signals and conducting preliminary earthwork to lay out the street extension's subgrade, said Nica Westerling, city engineer.
"We're trying to put in a bike lane as well," she said, "but it depends on how we can juggle the funds."
Plans for the overall extension and bridge project are going smoothly as well, she said.
"(We've completed) 90 percent of the plans for the entire road," Westerling said.
Farmington's representatives in Santa Fe are also working toward securing $19 million
"Of course, it's a top priority," Roberts said.
Greg Yee may be reached at gyee@daily-times.com; 564-4606. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/GYeeDT
