Highway 173 Receives $8 Million for Repairs

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The New Mexico Department of Transportation has set aside $8 million for repair work along the aging Highway 173 between Aztec and Navajo Reservoir. Celebrate the start of summer at the City of Aztec's Block Party and Car Show 'N Shine this Friday. And applications for young adults who identify as members of one of the Associated Tribes of the Grand Canyon to take part in a nine-day raft trip are due May 29th. You're watching the "Local News Roundup" brought to you by Three Rivers Brewery and The Big Idea Makerspace at San Juan College. I'm Hayley Opsal. After an unsuccessful attempt to secure funding to replace the 60-year-old, civilian-built Highway 173 in this year's legislative session, New Mexico Department of Transportation has set aside $8 million for repair work along the roadway. Although in dire need of a replacement, the $8 million will go a long way towards making the highway usable again. Costs to replace the 18-mile stretch of roadway between the city of Aztec and Navajo Reservoir are estimated between 40 million and $60 million. But the current funding will enable much needed fixes to the road surface. The funding is the first time in several years that any significant progress towards highway replacement has been made. San Juan County Commission, Aztec City Commission, and Farmington City Council have all adopted resolutions for the project, citing that improving road conditions along Highway 173 and around the city of Aztec will lead to increased economic development for Aztec. Although Highway 173 sees little traffic now, proponents of replacing the roadbed believe that a better road will encourage more people to travel and take advantage of the outdoor recreation offered by the access road. The city of Aztec invites you to celebrate the start of summer at its Block Party and Car Show 'N Shine Friday, May 20th. Find the fun from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Aztec on South Main Avenue and Chuska. Enjoy live music by The Dusty Saddle Band and warm up your vocal cords with cowboy karaoke. Enjoy the car show where you are the judge, and find local treats at food trucks and support local artists and vendors all day at this family-friendly event. The second annual Grand Canyon Regional Intertribal Intergeneration Stewardship Expedition, or RIISE, has opened applications for its nine-day rafting trip down the Grand Canyon, sponsored by the Grand Canyon Trust, a nonprofit organization that works to protect the Grand Canyon and Colorado Plateau. RIISE is open to any young person between the age of 16 and 20 who identifies as a member of one of the Associated Tribes of the Grand Canyon. The nine-day trip, which is free to successful applications and includes all supplies, food, and training, offers young people the chance to learn about the history of the Grand Canyon from guides and cultural knowledge-holders from local tribes while traversing the canyon. The organization is especially interested in applicants from small rural areas to offer them the chance to see the Grand Canyon. Applications are due May 29th. And more information about the trip and eligibility are online at the Grand Canyon Trust's website. Learn more about these and other stories online at farmingtonlocal.news. Thank you for watching this edition of "Local News Roundup." I'm Hayley Opsal.