The City of Albuquerque is installing new protective fencing along medians on Central Avenue as part of an effort to direct pedestrians to safer crossing locations.
The fencing, some of which was installed last week, is designed to guide pedestrians to intersections and new mid-block crossing points rather than allowing crossings at potentially dangerous locations, according to a city press release.
Fencing was installed on Central Avenue medians near Pennsylvania, Wyoming and Louisiana. The contractor will maintain traffic control during construction, requiring partial lane closures of approximately 500 feet at a time. The work is expected to take about eight weeks, the city said.
The fencing project is part of a comprehensive redesign of East Central Avenue that includes multiple safety improvements, according to the city.
Additional planned improvements include two new pedestrian signals, known as HAWK lights, at Britt and Dorothy streets, and the installation of nearly 200 solar lights along the corridor.
The city also plans to restripe Central Avenue east of Juan Tabo, creating right-turn-only lanes and narrowing existing lanes to reduce vehicle speeds. A Pedestrian Activated Warning System will be installed along with median refuge islands and mid-block signals to alert drivers.
Other changes include reducing Central Avenue from six lanes to four lanes while adding Business Access and Transit lanes to keep outer lanes clear for through traffic. The modifications will also include mid-block crossings to reduce the distance pedestrians must walk to find safe, legal crossing points.
The city plans to implement leading pedestrian intervals at intersections, giving pedestrians a head start when crossing streets. Median refuge islands will allow people to cross the street in two stages if needed.
Additional work includes repairing ART lights that provide lighting along the corridor and reducing the speed limit to 35 mph.
The improvements are aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety along the East Central corridor, one of Albuquerque’s major thoroughfares.