"It's all dependent on your viewpoint and where you're coming from," said Bert Thomas, senior vice president with Bohannan Huston Inc.

The company held a discussion about possible changes to the roadway along I-40 from Sedillo Hill to Moriarty at Edgewood Community Center on Tuesday, where 10 people from the Edgewood area looked over detailed maps of I-40 from Sedillo Hill to Moriarty and discussed the multitude of possibilities. This was one of many meetings that are part of a process that may take 20 years or more, Thomas said.

As such, the designs showed sweeping changes, including a connected frontage road along the north side of I-40, massive changes to the configuration of existing on- and off-ramps and the possibility of new interchanges between Moriarty and Edgewood and between Edgewood and Sedillo Hill.

One of the attendees, John Bassett, asked those gathered what their first priority with regard to interchanges would be. Everyone who answered gave a different response.

That's pretty typical, according to Thomas, who has done several of these meetings.

Thomas said officials from the city of Moriarty gave priority to improving the interchange in the middle of Moriarty that may lead to a proposed racetrack and casino. However, most of the people living in Moriarty would prefer to see the interchange at the west end of town fixed, he said.

The latter interchange is "a mess," according to Jim Poorbaugh, assistant project manager for Bohannan Huston. In fact, some of the comments they received at a previous meeting led to restriping in the area, he said.

"We do listen," Poorbaugh said.

It may not be only public input that determines which projects move forward first, however. Which areas are built first could be determined by whether land-owners are open to sharing some of the costs or if free land is available, Thomas pointed out, and financing a project may be even more of a concern during a recession.

"When you have money, you're going to figure out ways to get things done," Thomas said.