Self-determination
In mid-2023, the forward-thinking Town Commission approved the purchase of road-building equipment - an uncommon step for a small, rural municipality. But Edgewood's Commission saw an opportunity to be able to improve roads while more effectively controlling costs and timelines. Contracting out road work typically costs three to four times as much and is delayed by excessively long project scheduling wait times. By building roads in-house, the town has been able to pave more roads and at a significantly reduced cost. For example, a hot-mix asphalt road cost at least $1 million per mile (usually more). A chip seal paved road can typically be done for about 1/3 the cost. Chip seal paving is an affordable and appropriate approach to road building where rural traffic counts do not meet the threshold for asphalt.
Completed Roads
Since acquiring road-building equipment in 2023, the Roads department has completed several roads in-house. In 2024: Appaloosa Road (.75 miles). In 2025: Paradise Rd. (.50 miles), E Venus Rd. (1.25 miles), and Cactus Rd. (.50 miles). Additionally, in October 2025, the final phase of the West Venus Rd. (.75 miles) project (grading, culverts, and hot mix asphalt paving) began and should be completed before the new year. For roads currently in the works, see Road Project Notifications.
Considerations and future projects
The town considers a variety of factors to identify and prioritize roads for paving. High traffic volume is just one element in that process. Roads that require disproportionate maintenance time due to site logistics are also considered for chipseal paving. Additional factors include: is it an arterial road/collector road, is it a likely emergency bypass to a nearby major road, is it a school bus route, engineering and drainage, and cost.
Funding and engineering complexities are major considerations. Roads that are longer and/or require complex drainage solutions, such as Horton Road, will need additional funding to be sought. Such factors combine to create a longer improvement process. But staff is working in the background to seek additional funding sources (capital outlay, grants) and planning continues so the ton is ready when funding is available.
Next Roads
The Road crew will begin working on Nugent Rd (1 mile) in early November 2025. There, they will begin the process of installing culverts and preparing for chipseal paving from NM 344 to Horton Road. As conditions allow, it is anticipated to complete a short .25 mile section of V-Hill Rd. in order to connect pavement-to-pavement from NM 333 to the recently paved Torrance County portion of V-Hill Rd.
Road paving is weather-dependent and conditions determine what work can be started and when it can be completed. Roads cannot be chipseal paved when temperatures fall below 65 degrees. However, prep work can be done year-round in order to be ready for the limited "paving season" each year.
Building a team
In mid-FY2024, as part of the budget planning process, the Town Commission added several new positions to the Roads Department for FY2025. This allowed enough staff to break into two separate crews that could work simultaneously on different roads for improved road maintenance frequency. For FY 2026, the Town Commission again approved additional funding that has allowed for additional Road Dept. staff to be hired. As of September 2025, the department has 9 current team members, including a supervisor, and one open position being recruited.