5 - Minor Intersection Realignments, Modifications & Driveway Geometry
US 60’s alignment through the portion of Mountainair west of 3rd Street and east of Railroad Avenue follows a northeast/southwest bearing, which creates skewed intersections with angles of approximately 60-degrees, with the Town’s predominantly north/south Avenues and east/west Streets. A Policy of Geometric Design of Highways and Streets recommends that “intersecting roads should generally meet at, or nearly at right angles.” These highly skewed intersections require extensive turning areas with little to no delineation, additionally they tend to limit visibility and increase exposure time for vehicles crossing US 60.
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Realign the following intersections (Retained):
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Manzano Avenue
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Hanlon Avenue
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Harding Street
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Limit Avenue
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Cedardale Avenue (both approaches)
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Forest Avenue (both approaches)
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JW Shaw Street
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Dunn Avenue
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Wilson Avenue
​Cul-de-sac the following roadways (Recommended)
Corbett Avenue, which intersects 3rd Street and US 60 in the southeast quadrant of the intersection, is north/south local road and intersects US 60 an acute angle while simultaneously intersecting 3rd Avenue at a right angle creating a five-leg intersection. The acute angle and additional leg intersection create an unsafe condition for the matter of convenience. The connection of Corbett Avenue to 3rd Street/US 60 is unnecessary due to the established street network. The segment of Corbett Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets is approximately 385-feet long and provides access to two residential parcels. Four parcels adjoin the east side of Corbett Avenue, but the parcels on each end are accessed from 3rd and 4th Street. The proposed cul-de-sac would not eliminate any current access points. Additionally, the route from US 60 to the two interior parcels on Corbett Avenue can be achieved via 4th Street, Sunset Avenue and 3rd Street. The cul-de-sac would require the purchase of the northern portion of the triangular lot between US 60 and Corbett Avenue north of the 4th Street intersection. The Corbett Avenue cul-de-sac shown in the figure below is a 30-foot radius offset (to the left) cul-de-sac and can accommodate a passenger vehicle turn around or a single unit truck with a single steering reversal. This alternative will require coordination and acceptance from the Town.
Beal Street intersects US 60 just west of Wilson Avenue and east of Dunn Avenue at an acute angle and is a redundant access points between two closely spaced intersections. Beal Street serves as the primary access to two parcels between Dunn Avenue and US 60. By terminating Beal Street at US 60 with a cul-de-sac the access to the adjacent properties is maintained and redundant highly skewed intersection is eliminated, providing for better traffic flow on the highway. Like the Corbett Avenue cul-de-sac, the Beal Street cul-de-sac would require the purchase of the eastern portion of the triangular parcel between US 60 and Beal Street east of Dunn Avenue. The Beal Street cul-de-sac shown in the figure below is a 30-foot radius offset (to the right) cul-de-sac and can accommodate a passenger vehicle turn around or a single unit truck with a single steering reversal. This alternative will require coordination and acceptance from the Town.
​Closure of Acoma Street west of Wilson Avenue (Recommended)
Acoma Street is a local street the spans almost the entire width of the Town of Mountainair. Currently the eastern terminus intersects with US 60, 400-feet east of Wilson Avenue, which also intersects US 60. Acoma Street is a dirt road between Wilson Avenue and US 60, and it intersects US 60 at an acute angle. Topography, drainage conditions and maintenance issues can often leave this segment of Acoma Street in a boggish condition. Due to the factors just described and Acoma Street’s connection with Wilson Avenue, it is recommended to close Acoma Street at Wilson Avenue. A portion of the intersection east of Wilson Avenue will have to remain to provide access to Chappell Drive which currently services one residential lot.
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