In 2019, the City of Gallup and the NMDOT developed the Gallup Area Transportation Safety Plan that identified the I-40/US 491 interchange as a high-priority area for safety and traffic mitigation measures.  In the fall of 2020, NMDOT started a Phase IA/B Study to identify options to make the interchange area safer for all users and examine how the interchange can work better with Maloney Avenue/US 491 intersection. The NMDOT and the City of Gallup hosted a virtual public meeting.  The meeting provided an overview of the project, options studied, and the environmental impacts of the preferred alternative. The public was asked to join the discussion, provide comments, and ask questions of the study team.  The comment period ended on August 6, 2021.