ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Isleta Boulevard has been a main street through the South Valley for decades, and now parts of the street are set to get a major facelift.

“It’s actually really great to be able to get in there and do some major improvements that will last, you know, long-term going forward,” said Brian Lopez with Bernalillo County.

Crews are repaving five miles from Durand Road to Bridge Boulevard. The stretch is also getting updates to manhole covers, street markings, and lighting.

Lopez says the funds come from past legislative sessions, and the county has worked with several state lawmakers on the project.

“The paving portion, that estimate with the concrete work is around $8.7 million that those funds did come from Santa Fe,” he said.

The project is getting done in phases, but the paving is already underway.

“The lighting is going to come towards the end because we are looking at doing a lighting study to help identify if there are areas along the corridor that have some deficiencies that where they need some more lighting, other than just upgrades,” Lopez said.

The paving is weather dependent, and he adds you can’t pave in temperatures below 40 degrees.

The project is expected to last until April, and Lopez said work is set to wrap up before rush hour every day to help traffic flow.

In the future, Lopez said the county is working on a more extensive revitalization of another, larger stretch of Isleta Boulevard.