NM SM30

Requests the Department of Transportation and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau to study problems on U.S. Highway 491, the major north-south route through western New Mexico and the eastern Navajo Nation from Gallup to the Colorado border

Study must address road maintenance issues, extreme weather hazards (sandstorms, blizzards, flooding), drainage problems from sand dumping, and safety concerns for drivers, school children, and pedestrians

Requires collection of data including daily traffic counts, accident and fatality statistics by mile marker, law enforcement stop details, and port-of-entry enforcement results for commercial vehicles

Must include analysis of commercial truck driver workforce needs nationally and in New Mexico over the next ten years, along with information on training programs and strategies to increase qualified drivers

Findings and recommendations due to legislative interim committees by November 1, 2026, with consultation from the Navajo Nation and McKinley and San Juan counties