(Photos by Garrison Wells/Observer)

Turquoise Street.

A gentle, comforting bit of nomenclature — for what I believe is the worst street in Rio Rancho.

Driving down it from Saratoga Dr. NE to Quantum, is a test of the maneuverability of your car avoiding potholes and crevasses. It’s a front-end, alignment killer, better-suited for a heavy-duty SUV with four-wheel drive.

A sign in front of one of the homes on the street sends a message to drivers, some of whom apparently speed through the area. (They do. I watched as cars sped down this residential chunk of macadam, swerving around the worst potholes and cracks.)

Say the signs, “Slow Down! For the love of dog.” With dog footprints, another urges drivers to “Leave early, drive slowly.” And the final sign: “Drive Slowly. Furry children at play.”

I tried to speak to the sign writer, but there was no way to get to the front door, sitting as it was about 20 feet from a locked gate. I called out, gently, like you do.

“Hello? Hello?”

Nothing. This is a very private neighborhood. Or nobody was home. Or they weren’t interested in talking with a nosy reporter.

 

There is a potential solution. I call them the city’s crack coppers. Or pothole patrol.

You can ask for help here: road repair.

Says the city: “For potholes the City mobilizes a crew every other Friday to repair these requests. Generally, it can take up to six (6) weeks to repair potholes depending on the severity of the pothole. Again, we prioritize high traffic volume roads over low traffic volume roads for this work.
For service requests for potholes please utilize Report Rio Rancho.”

Mind you, Turquoise is not a main drag. But for the neighbors and us few who use it, it’s a real pain to drive.

Well, there you have it. Road problem fixed.

Right?