Paint truck removal underway at Bandelier

The National Park Service and a construction company began removing the wreckage materials from a vehicle accident resulting in spilled paint within Bandelier’s boundary. 

Crews began work last Friday and are expected to continue into this week. At this time, staff does not anticipate a road closure during removal operations.

On the morning of Sept. 18, a tractor trailer rig traveling eastbound on N.M. 4 missed a sharp curve and went off the road, plunging about 200 feet down a steep slope into the monument.

The truck was carrying about 2,200 gallons of highway striping paint. Spilled paint spread over nearly an acre and is visible from roads and hiking trails in and around Bandelier.

Crews are now working with a cable and pulley system to remove the vehicle across the slope down to the road at the junction of N.M. 501 and N.M. 4. Bandelier National Monument law enforcement staff and an archeologist are closely monitoring the removal to mitigate any potential impacts to resources. 

Paint cleanup will be a separate process that will begin in the near future.

If you subscribe to the newspaper, you receive FREE access to all the exclusive content of the web site! Simply register to receive uninterrupted access to our award-winning and in-depth local online content!

Renew Current or Past Subscription / Register for Online Subscription

If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Los Alamos Monitor, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.

Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.

Newspaper Acct. ID:
Street Address:	(exactly as it appears on the label)

If you are a subscriber and you do not know your account ID or don't have a copy of your newspaper available that shows the information on the address label you can click continue below to search for your account.

New Subscription/30 Day Free Trial Account

If you are new to the award winning Los Alamos Monitor and wish to get a subscription or simply gain access to our online content then please enter your ZIP code below and continue to setup your account.

ZIP Code:

Create a limited access account.
Register to participate in community forums, post on the community calendar, blog etc. This registration does not give you full access to read our award winning content, etc.

The Los Alamos Monitor | lacirculation@lamonitor.com | 505-662-4185
256 DP Road, Los Alamos, NM 87544
Office Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday