54/70 Walker Road Area Water and Infrastructure Improvement Project Announced

Alamogordo, NM, October 3, 2025 -

The City of Alamogordo is launching the 54/70 Walker Road Area Water and Infrastructure Improvement Project, the most significant public‑works investment in the Walker Road neighborhood in more than 50 years. The project is presently with engineering. 

This nearly $10 million modernization will replace failing mains, install multiple strategically placed shutoff valves, add smaller isolation zones, and reconfigure the distribution network so future breaks can be isolated to individual blocks instead of shutting off water to the entire Walker Road area.

Decades of underinvestment has left inner‑city neighborhoods, including Walker Road, with aging utilities and deteriorating streets.

Today that aging infrastructure forces crews to shut off water across the whole neighborhood when lines fail, producing repeated hardship for households who can least afford it.

Citywide benchmarks and neighborhood stats show a stark contrast in economic conditions in the Walker Road neighborhood verses the Desert Hills Golf Course area:

Citywide (Alamogordo): median home value $163,600; poverty rate 17.7%; child poverty 25%; median household income $52,515.

Walker Road area: median home value $100,000–$160,000; overall poverty 25%–35%; child poverty 30%–40%; unemployment 7%–11%.

Desert Hills Golf‑course east‑side area: median home value $300,000–$425,000; overall poverty 5%–12%; child poverty 6%–15%; unemployment 2%–5%.

Those contrasts helped drive the dialogue from District 5 Commissioner Sharon McDonald and City Staff under the leadership of Dr. Stephanie Hernandez to champion the commission’s capital spend decision in support of prioritizing this Walker Road project.

This project is targeted to directly reduce outage scope and protect vulnerable households from repeated service interruptions.

“This project is about restoring services and pride to neighborhoods that were left behind and making Alamogordo great block by block,” said Commissioner and Mayor Pro Tempore Sharon McDonald. Her neighborhood and small business, block by block advocacy, and hands‑on leadership helped move the Walker Road work to the top of the city’s priority list.

Acting City Manager Dr. Stephanie Hernandez provided the fiscal and operational leadership required to turn that advocacy into action, stabilizing and reprioritizing the municipal budget. She has accomplished that during her ongoing 21‑month tenure. Her professional approach has set the foundation so large, high‑cost projects can be responsibly financed and delivered.

Project design and technical scope

Replace aging mains in the 54/70 corridor with durable PVC to reduce leaks and improve water quality and pressure.

Reconfigure the distribution network into smaller, independently isolatable zones so breaks affect only limited areas.

Install multiple shutoff valves at strategic locations to allow crews to isolate repairs to specific blocks or streets rather than cutting service to the entire Walker Road area.

Keep construction inside the public right‑of‑way to minimize property impacts and limit traffic disruption.

Timeline and Next Steps

Project design is in its final stage with engineering. Construction bidding is expected to begin as early as December or January, with February the latest anticipated procurement window. Active construction is estimated to take about one year after the contracts are awarded. Shovels in the ground are planned for late spring.

Cost - Cost Benefits

The Walker Road improvements carry a cost approaching $10 million and are the first project to be financed through the city’s initial water loan tied to the recent water‑rate increase. That rate adjustment was required so the New Mexico Finance Authority could qualify Alamogordo as fiscally prepared to secure loans for projects of this scale.

In December 2024, the City Commission approved up to $32 million in borrowing and spending for prioritized water and infrastructure improvements; the Walker Road phase represents nearly one‑third of that allocation.

Planning Context

The Walker Road work follows the city’s asset‑management planning, including a July 2022 street assessment that used specialized vehicles to capture detailed digital images of pavement conditions; that assessment helped staff prioritize where to coordinate utility upgrades with roadway repairs to reduce overall cost and disruption.

How the investment addresses neighborhood disparities

Reducing outage scope: Valve placement and zoned isolation will sharply decrease how many households lose service when repairs are required, protecting low‑income families from loss of water, lost wages, and food spoilage.

Improving reliability: New mains and better pressure lower the frequency of emergency breaks, reducing repeated disruptions that disproportionately affect high‑poverty neighborhoods.

Supporting stability and property values: Reliable basic services and coordinated street/utility work are foundational to reducing blight and creating conditions for gradual recovery in home values and neighborhood investment.

Equity in capital spending: Devoting nearly one‑third of the commission’s approved water capital to Walker Road is an explicit corrective measure aimed at narrowing the gap between historically neglected inner‑city neighborhoods and higher‑value districts like the golf‑course area.

Resident communications

The city will issue advance notices to affected citizens before construction, including schedules for any short, localized service interruptions tied to tie‑ins and main replacements as they occur. Official updates, bidding announcements, and construction schedules will be posted through the City of Alamogordo communications channels and project hubs and stay tuned to AlamogordoTownNews.org and streaming KALHRadio.org for further updates.

Sources and Citations

• U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5‑year estimates (city profile) for citywide benchmarks.

• Local assessor and MLS/Zillow market indicators, NeighborhoodScout‑style neighborhood analytics, and city planning summaries for neighborhood estimate ranges.

• City of Alamogordo project briefings and City Commission actions (Dec. 2024) on water and infrastructure financing

• City of Alamogordo Staff and Project Updates

• City of Alamogordo Infrastructure Assessment 2022

• City of Alamogordo Project Map

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