Los Alamos Highway 135 walking and biking project remains years away

Construction on the planned Los Alamos Connected Community Project is not expected to begin soon. As of July 28, 2026, Caltrans still lists the Highway 135 project in its design and public-information phase, with final design estimated for spring 2027 and construction targeted for early 2028.

The schedule is an estimate, not a guarantee. Caltrans currently expects the project to be completed in spring 2029, meaning residents should not expect immediate construction activity along the corridor.

Where the project would go

The project covers State Route 135 from about 0.1 mile south of the U.S. 101/135 separation to Den Street in Los Alamos. The corridor is intended to connect residential areas with downtown Los Alamos and Olga Reed Elementary School.

Caltrans says the project is intended to address gaps in sidewalks and bike lanes, along with a lack of designated crossings and other conditions that can make walking or bicycling between neighborhoods, downtown and the school difficult.

What is planned

The proposed work includes new sidewalks, buffered bike lanes, marked crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps, traffic-calming features, lighting and other pedestrian amenities.

The environmental project record identifies roughly 4,800 feet of new sidewalk, 6,215 feet of buffered bike lanes, 575 feet of reconstructed sidewalk, 42 ADA-compliant ramps, 17 traffic-calming curb extensions and 23 marked crosswalks. The plans also include benches, trash cans and street lighting.

Those improvements are planned for the Highway 135 corridor specifically. The project does not represent a countywide walking or bicycling construction program.

Funding and current status

Caltrans lists $8.075 million from the state Active Transportation Program and $450,000 in Measure A funding for the project. A separate California Transportation Commission record approved $1.044 million for construction engineering. That allocation supports engineering and project-delivery work; it is not the full construction cost.

The project has completed environmental approval and remains listed among Caltrans District 5’s current projects. Caltrans also publicized project information meetings in May and June 2026, indicating that the project remained active in the public-information and design phase.

What residents should watch next

The next major milestone is final design, currently estimated for spring 2027. If that phase stays on schedule, construction is currently expected to start in early 2028 and finish in spring 2029.

Residents, parents, commuters and local businesses should treat those dates as planning estimates. Design changes, project approvals, funding administration or other construction issues could alter the timeline. Caltrans’ project page and District 5 notices are the best places to look for updated maps, public meetings, construction notices and schedule changes.

Sources

• Caltrans Highway 135 project page
• Caltrans District 5 public meeting notice
• California environmental project summary
• California Transportation Commission funding resolution