Bernalillo County road closed by Laguna Pueblo land dispute

The Pueblo of Laguna has closed a road on the outskirts of Bernalillo County, cutting off a main route used by residents of Rio Puerco Estates to reach the Interstate 40 frontage road. The closure comes amid a land dispute, with the Pueblo saying the road falls under tribal jurisdiction.

County Road 36, now known as Abrams Drive, was blocked off over the Fourth of July weekend. A sign went up and a gate was locked, warning drivers that passing through would mean trespassing on Pueblo land.

The Pueblo of Laguna has owned a stretch of the road for nearly 20 years. Tribal officials said they had allowed property owners to use it but grew concerned about problems near a gas station at the road’s entrance.

“So you’ll see semi-trucks coming through here, entertainment, people coming home onto the pueblo land to ATV and have, you know, joy ride and do whatever they’re doing. So, vagrancy has been an issue, shoplifting has been an issue, stealing of gas has been an issue, other crimes,” said Tammi Lambert, Government Affairs Director for the Pueblo of Laguna.

Michelle Daniele, a property owner along Abrams Drive, said the closure is creating hardship for residents.

“That’s really scary because we have families back here, people need to get out to work, they need to buy food, and there’s children that need to go to school, or perhaps need medical attention,” Daniele said.

Residents now must drive along rugged back roads to get home, according to the report. The Pueblo said it gave the county a 90-day notice and will allow residents through for emergencies only. The Pueblo told property owners to call tribal police and Bernalillo County for emergency access.

Property owners pointed to Bernalillo County, saying county leaders should have addressed the issue sooner.

“We believe the county is mostly at fault because they allowed the Pueblo to put a county road into Indian trust land,” Daniele said.

Bernalillo County Public Works said it is working on a solution.

“The public safety leaders of both governments have worked out a process to deal with the emergent issues, and Bernalillo County is currently working on alternative routes as we speak,” said Elias Archuleta, Deputy County Manager for Public Works for the county.

Daniele said residents cannot wait.

“The landowners are the innocent party. We’re taking the brunt of everything while they say they’re going to figure it out,” Daniele said.