The State of New Mexico announced it is ending the City of Albuquerque’s contract for litter and homeless‑encampment cleanup on the I‑25 and I‑40 corridors, shifting those responsibilities to the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT). The change affects the underpass near 1st Street and I‑40, an area previously maintained by the city.
Albuquerque Chief Operating Officer Mathew Whalen said the city received a termination letter and that the most recent annual contract was $2 million. Whalen noted the contract had been as low as $500,000 in earlier years, explaining that “things have grown, costs have gone up, and there’s just been more litter, there’s more encampments, graffiti.” He added that the city’s cleanup program has operated since 2010 and expressed concern that the state has not provided a detailed plan for how it will address the areas.
Local business owner Santiago Samora, branch manager of Sunbelt Rentals located near the 1st Street underpass, described the site as “horrible” with bags of trash, mattresses, furniture and tents. Samora said the city has done its best but hopes the state can keep up with the cleanup work to maintain a safe environment for motorists and nearby businesses.
NMDOT released a statement saying the litter‑cleanup agreement with Albuquerque has ended and that the department is “evaluating the transition of cleanup responsibilities, including how requests will be received, coordinated, and addressed moving forward.” The agency highlighted its statewide commitment to litter abatement, noting the Que Linda grant program has provided $4.2 million to local governments over the past two years and that NMDOT contracts with the New Mexico Corrections Department for inmate work crews. A 2025 litter study cited by NMDOT reports the department spends roughly $10 million annually on litter abatement and will continue to coordinate with local law enforcement on trespassing enforcement.
What’s next: NMDOT said it will develop a plan for handling cleanup requests and coordinate with the city, but no specific timeline has been released. Albuquerque officials say they will monitor the transition to ensure residents continue to receive the level of service they expect.
Sources: kob.com
