The preliminary design phase of the Southern Boulevard Project stretched from Rainbow Boulevard to NM 528. This project addressed improvements between Rainbow Boulevard and NM 528 which included: roadway design for reconstruction and widening, right-of-way mapping, traffic signals, lighting, drainage, utilities, landscaping, transit, bicycle lanes, and pedestrian lanes. The preliminary design phase, done by Wilson & Company Inc. included environmental documentation for the area and analysis of four-lane or six-lane widening for the corridor. The design work was funded by the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) in the amount of $850,000 with a City of Rio Rancho match amount of $144,850 from a
2009 voter-approved road bond. The Southern Boulevard Project was broken into several phases after the preliminary design phase. Please see the current phase,
Phase 1, for details on the final design.