Farmington City Manager Rob Mayes discusses the long awaited Pinon Hills Boulevard extension project as Mayor Nate Duckett looks on.
Farmington Officials gathered with representatives from the NM Department of Transportation and San Juan County to break ground on the long-anticipated Pinon Hills Boulevard Extension Project. San Juan County announced that design work on their section of the project is 90% completed.
Farmington Officials say work will begin in earnest now on the $42-million Pinon Hills Boulevard Extension project that will add another traffic crossing over the Animas River between Browning Parkway and Flora Vista. They anticipate construction on this phase of the project to last two years or more. Plans will construct a 4-lane roadway from the current Pinon Hills Boulevard intersection with east Main Street, south across the Animas River to intersect with County Road 3000 (Southside River Road). Eventually, once the San Juan County portion is completed, the road will travel up Crouch Mesa, and intersect County Road 390 (Wildflower Parkway) near Andrea Drive.
Earlier this year the City of Farmington awarded AUI the $36,716,000 contract for the construction of the Pinon Hills Boulevard Extension and Bridge project.
The additional connection from north Farmington to south Farmington will provide several benefits to the community:
Quicker response times for emergency services
Help reduce traffic congestion
Reduced commute times
Creates new areas for residential and commercial development and encourages expansion of existing areas
(Photo caption: Farmington City Council members join Mayor Nate Duckett, State Senators Steve Neville and Bill Sharer, NM Representative Rod Montoya and others breaking ground for construction of the Pinon Hills Boulevard extension project.)
The Sheriff's Office Traffic Reconstruction Team responded to conduct the investigation into the fatal crash. Two persons on bicycles (an adult male and an adult female) were struck by a 2006 Ford Ranger driven by Jaron Todecheeny of Aztec, NM. Both bicyclists died at the scene.
As Vice President of Diversity Affairs at FLC, Heather Shotton has played a pivotal role in advancing a culture of belonging and enhancing student access and success. In addition to her work in diversity affairs, she serves as Acting Dean of Student Engagement, overseeing more than 70 staff members supporting student well-being and success.
The initial call was received at 5:23 AM. The individual was identified from video surveillance. The male was contacted by Durango Police Department Patrol and is now in custody. He has been identified as Joe Brinkerhoff, a resident of the City of Durango. Due to a prior incident, Joe Brinkerhoff was trespassed from the property and his Rec Center privileges were suspended.
After a thorough and ongoing investigation by detectives and working with the district attorney's office, a thorough review of the case was conducted, and the decision to proceed with criminal charges was made. A warrant was issued to charge Heather Fernandez-Hoefer. She was taken into custody without incident on April 1, 2025.
Upon arrival, deputies made contact with multiple individuals including juveniles and young adults and located a deceased individual identified as Samuell Tariq Liggins, age 20.