(The Associated Press circulated the following story by Barry Massey on March 26.)
SANTA FE, N.M. — The state is paying $2.8 million to private landowners to route the Rail Runner commuter train across their property near Santa Fe.
About seven miles of track will be built on the undeveloped land on La Bajada Mesa south of Santa Fe. The train cuts across the private land before entering the median of Interstate 25 near a rest stop.
The Department of Transportation is acquiring 179 acres of land from eight landowners for right of way for the commuter rail service, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. Most of the owners are partnerships.
In one instance, the state will swap land with Public Service Company of New Mexico to obtain the use of about one-third of an acre owned by the utility. The department’s offer for the land was $118,350.
The right of way is needed to extend commuter rail service to Santa Fe. Construction of the new track is under way and the department estimates it will be finished by the end of the year.
The largest payment for right of way, almost $1.6 million for nearly 98 acres, went to Mesita De Santa Fe Ltd. The general partner is Lauren Peppler, according to the department’s purchase contract.
Lawrence Barreras, director of the agency’s right of way division, said the purchases were negotiated based on independent appraisals of the land.
“We do have the right to condemn the property, but we have a responsibility to negotiate in good faith,” said Barreras.
Most of the payments have been made to the landowners. Barreras said the state has obtained authorization to move ahead with construction work even in cases in which the final payments have not yet occurred.
The Rail Runner, which currently serves the Albuquerque area, will follow the BNSF Railway line part of the way to Santa Fe before crossing the private land.
A joint venture of Twin Mountain Construction II Co. of Albuquerque and the Missouri-based Herzog Group won a $115 million contract to build the rail line from near La Bajada to the edge of Santa Fe. Twin Mountain is a subsidiary of Nebraska-based Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc., one the nation’s largest construction contractors.