A bill that would provide $25 million to build a paved highway from Interstate 25 in
House Bill 496, sponsored by Rep. Dan Silva, D-Albuquerque, was approved by the House almost three weeks ago on a vote of 62-5, but it’s been stalled in the Senate. Many senators don’t want to provide any more funding for the spaceport after appropriating more than $100 million last year.
The state has much of the money it needs to build the spaceport facility, but not the money to build a paved road to reach it. Currently, several rugged dirt roads are the only paths to the spaceport. The Upham exit off Interstate 25 in Doña Ana County leads to a dirt road that runs north into Sierra County and to the site of the spaceport. The money would fund a major, paved road from the exit to the launch site.
The bill includes more than $200 million for transportation projects throughout the state. It was proposed last year by Gov. Bill Richardson, but the Legislature failed to approve it.
Update, 10:15 p.m.
New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Rick Homans just pointed out to me that, regardless of whether the $25 million is approved, the state should be able to begin building the road this year. Last year, the Legislature appropriated more than $100 million for the spaceport, to be released in thirds during three consecutive years, and place three conditions on it – the state had to obtain its commercial spaceport license from the Federal Aviation Administration, sign a lease with an anchor tenant, and get a real estimate of the cost of the initial facility of $225 million or less.
This year, the capital outlay bill already approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor removes the FAA license requirement on the initial $33 million and allows it to be spent on general spaceport-related infrastructure. Assuming the state gets its cost estimate and Virgin Galactic signs a lease this year, the state can begin building the road using that money, and ask for the $25 million again next year, he said.
Homans called that provision in the capital outlay bill “a step forward” and said the widespread support for the capital outlay bill showed that lawmakers are on board with the spaceport project.