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Camino Real (Corridor 27)
Routing
Corridor 27 is the "Camino Real" Corridor, which runs from El Paso, Texas, north to Sweetgrass, Montana. It begins at the ports of entry in El Paso, Texas, and heads northwest via Interstate 10 to Las Cruces, New Mexico. At Las Cruces, the corridor turns north on Interstate 25 to serve Truth or Consequences, Socorro, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and Raton in New Mexico; Trinidad, Walsenburg, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Fort Collins in Colorado; and Cheyenne, Wheatland, Douglas, Casper, and Buffalo in Wyoming.
At Buffalo, the corridor follows Interstate 90 northwest via Sheridan, Wyoming, to Billings, Montana. In Montana, the corridor will follow Montana 3 from Billings to Lavina, U.S. 12 from Lavina to Harlowton, U.S. 191 from Harlowton to near Moore, and U.S. 87 from near Moore to Great Falls. At Great Falls, the Camino Real corridor will merge with the CANAMEX corridor as they both follow Interstate 15 through Sweetgrass, Montana, into Canada.
The Camino Real Corridor was not an original ISTEA corridor; it was added as part of the NHS High Priority Corridors. This corridor is a NAFTA-related corridor, designed to facilitate trade between the three major North American countries, just like the CANAMEX and Interstate 69 corridors. The primarily purpose of this corridor is to connect Chihuahua (in Mexico) with Denver, Colorado, via El Paso. NHS established a special commission responsible for maximizing use of the corridor and for developing more efficient trade routes.
Texas
Camino Real Corridor begins at the U.S.-Mexico border crossing via U.S. 62-85 and Interstate 110-U.S. 54. This border crossing is one of the busiest along the southern border. The corridor continues north along Interstate 10 into New Mexico.
New Mexico
Entering New Mexico, the corridor leaves Interstate 10 at Las Cruces and turns north along Interstate 25. The section of Interstate 25 in the Albuquerque area is planned for upgrades by the New Mexico Department of Transportation. A beltway around Albuquerque has been proposed, but it is unclear if this is still the plan.
New Mexico DOT also plans an upgrade to U.S. 70 in the Las Cruces-White Sands area. Plans call for reconstruction of U.S. 70 east of Las Cruces from a four-lane rural highway to a controlled access freeway. The overall project limits extend from the U.S. 70/Interstate 25 interchange east 10 miles to NASA Road, which is the access road to the Johnson Space Center and is just west of Organ and San Augustine Pass. The entrance to the White Sands Missile Range base is just to the west of the pass and the highway is subject to closure during missile tests.
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The need for this upgrade of U.S. 70 is a projected increase in usage. Much of the traffic along U.S. 70 is commuters from Las Cruces to the Johnson Space Center and White Sands Missile Range base. According to current projections, at the Interstate 25 interchange, U.S. 70 traffic is expected to double from 40,000 vehicles per day (vpd) in 1999 to 80,000 vpd by 2015. Interchanges are proposed at Del Rey Blvd., Roadrunner Parkway, Rinconada Blvd., Sonoma Ranch Road, Mesa Grande Blvd., Porter Road, Holman and Dunn Road, Weisner Road, Brahman Road, and NASA Road. Upgrades will also assist through traffic, as U.S. 70 is a major diagonal highway connection between Interstate 40 in Texas and Interstate 10 into Arizona and California as well as south to Interstate 25/Interstate 10 into Mexico.
For more information on U.S. 70, go to the New Mexico DOT web page on the U.S. 70 Upgrades.
Colorado
Several sections of Interstate 25 are planned for upgrade in Colorado. In the Colorado Springs area, Interstate 25 is already being reconstructed to accommodate more lanes, sound walls, and increased traffic flow. In the Denver region, Interstate 25 has been reconstructed between the Mousetrap (Interstate 25/70 junction) north to the Colorado 119 (Diagonal Highway) interchange. Improvements are underway along Interstate 25 between C-470 and the Mousetrap, and again at the Colorado 119 interchange north to Fort Collins.
The improvements of Interstate 25 south of Denver are large-scale, and they have been dubbed locally as the Transportation Expansion Project: TREX. This project, between Broadway Boulevard in Denver and Lincoln Avenue in Douglas County along Interstate 25, is programmed from 2000 to 2005. The project encompasses both major highway improvements and a new light rail corridor. These improvements, also along Interstate 225, include:
- Widen Interstate 25 to as many as 14 lanes in some areas south of Interstate 225: five general lanes, one auxiliary lane, and acceleration/deceleration lanes as needed in each direction
- Construct light rail along the west side of Interstate 25 and in the median of Interstate 225
For more, see the official TREX Web Site.
More projects are planned for Interstate 25 north of the TREX project. According to Matt Salek in August 2001, a separate yet concurrent project will reconstruct the Broadway/Santa Fe area along Interstate 25. Further in the future, another project will address the stretch of Interstate 25 from U.S. 85/Santa Fe Drive to Interstate 70. In addition, widening from two to three lanes is planned for Interstate 25 around Castle Rock.
The Spring 1999 AASHTO Quarterly indicated that significant TEA-21 funding has been allocated to reconstruction of the Mousetrap interchange between Interstates 25 and 70:
The "Mousetrap" interchange of Interstate Highways 25 and 70, so named by a Denver traffic reporter, is Colorado's heaviest-traveled and most highly visible interstate interchange. Since I-25 was first completed in 1951, population has increased 200% in the surrounding metropolitan area. The interchange was highly congested and was the scene of serious accidents in the early 1980s when plans for reconstruction got underway. The needs were many, including traffic flow enhancement, safety improvements, high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, and the rebuilding of outdated bridges and overpasses.
Actual construction began 1984, and in the ensuing 15 years, Colorado has received $177 million in federal interstate discretionary funds for this project. Currently, 85% of the Mousetrap project is either complete or under construction. CDOT received $32 million in interstate discretionary funds in FY 99, and currently has made one final request for $29 million in TEA-21 Interstate Maintenance Discretionary Funding for FY 2000. If these funds are received, the Mousetrap project will be completed.
The Mousetrap program consisted not only of rebuilding the actual intersection of the two interstate highways with a system of flyover raps, but also a variety of safety improvements in a 2.5-mile stretch of I-25 north and south, and a two-mile stretch of I-70 east and west, with the Mousetrap in the center. These safety improvements have consisted of bridge and overpass reconstruction, lane widening, and reconstruction of substandard on and off ramps.
Completion of the I-25 portion accommodated Colorado's first separated, dedicated HOV lanes, which opened in 1995. These lanes have enhanced traffic flow and assisted multi-modal travel on I-25. The final two years of federal discretionary funding have been targeted to completion of improvements on the elevated portions of I-70 east of the Mousetrap. This final phase includes reconstruction and modernization of the Washington Street and Brighton Boulevard interchanges and the rebuilding of an elevated section. When completed, this final project will allow traffic to flow more smoothly and safely into and out of the Mousetrap to the west. CDOT and Colorado's citizens are grateful for the federal funds that have made the 15-year dream of a safer, more efficient Mousetrap area a reality, and especially for the TEA-21 funds which will bring the project to a successful conclusion in the near future.
Wyoming
The corridor follows Interstate 25 through Cheyenne, Casper, and Buffalo; then it shifts to Interstate 90 on its way to Montana.
Montana
Interstate 90 and U.S. 87 carry the Camino Real Corridor between the Wyoming State Line and Great Falls. At Great Falls, the corridor merges with the Canamex Corridor and Interstate 15 north to Canada.
The Interstate 27 (Ports to Plains Highway) Connection
Although not specifically mentioned in the legislation, officials in Texas also hope to add a southerly extension to the Ports to Plains Highway (Interstate 27) to connect Amarillo with Mexico. This routing was considered as an alternative to Interstate 25 when the NHS legislation was being drafted, but the Interstate 25 routing was given high priority status. The TEA-21 legislation picked up the Ports to Plains Highway as a high priority corridor in 1998.
If Interstate 27 is extended, it could have two possible directions: through Midland-Odessa to connect with Mexico (with a southern terminus at the Pacific Ocean port city of Topolobampo) or through San Angelo to connect with the cities of San Antonio and Houston. Currently there is some debate as to which corridor would provide more economic benefit. Of course, they will have to figure out how to pay for the corridor too.
Page Updated June 9, 2002.
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