New Mexico is getting a new state crime lab.
The state Department of Public Safety announced Tuesday that construction of the new $21.9 million forensic laboratory has begun in Santa Fe and is expected to be completed by the fall of 2022.
The new facility will support New Mexico law enforcement and criminal justice agencies and court systems by analyzing forensic evidence collected at crime scenes and provide testimony in court.
The 44,000-square-foot (4,088-square-meter) lab is being built on a state-owned lot in northeast Santa Fe.
General Services Secretary Ken Ortiz said the replacement project has long been in the planning stages.
The new lab will be over four times the size as the current one, which is 50 years -old, officials said the new facility will have new equipment and space for future growth.
Photo: Current New Mexico Science Laboratories. Credit: NM Department of Health