Interstate 25 North - Santa Fe County

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Interstate 25 North
Paralleling I-25 northeast to Exit 264, NM 16 originates along the east side frontage road in the Rio Galisteo valley. The 10.49 mile long highway follows El Camino Real northwest to NM 22 in Cochito Pueblo. 04/28/17
A diamond interchange joins NM 16 (El Camino Real) with Interstate 25 at Exit 264. Prior to 1988, NM 16 was a part of NM 22.1 04/28/17
Rising to over 6,200 feet in elevation, I-25 makes a gradual easterly turn onto a mesa beyond milepost 265. 04/28/17
Continuing east, I-25 next meets Waldo Canyon Road (FR 2089) and Entrada La Cienega (FR 2090) on the 17 mile drive to Santa Fe. 04/28/17
A truck climbing lane accompanies I-25 northbound from NM 16 to the diamond interchange (Exit 267) with Waldo Canyon Road. Waldo Canyon Road (CR 57) heads south from Interstate 25 to the railroad siding of Waldo. 04/28/17
Waldo Canyon Road heads southward from Waldo along the Rio Galisteo to Los Cerrillos and NM 14. FR 2097 (East Frontage Road) commences a 9.80 mile course alongside I-25 from Exit 267 to NM 599 (Veterans Memorial Highway). 04/28/17
The La Bajada Rest Area follows along Interstate 25 northbound beyond milepost 268. 04/28/17
The Rail Runner Express transit line converges with Interstate 25 beyond the rest area. Operated by Rio Metro Regional Transit, the commuter rail runs between the I-25 north and southbound roadways to Exit 282. 04/28/17
Spanning Alamo Creek, I-25 progresses northeast one mile to County Road 50F (Entrada La Cienega). 04/28/17
Entering the diamond interchange (Exit 271) with CR 50F (Entrada La Cienega) at the community of La Cienega. 04/28/17
Interstate 25 passes by Guicu Creek Park by this confirming marker at La Cienega. 04/28/17
The distance sign after La Cienega omits the succeeding exit with NM 599, despite a replacement made after 2008 that adjusted the distances to Cerillos Road (NM 14) from five to six miles and added a mile to St. Francis Drive (U.S. 84/285) and Las Vegas. 04/28/17
Entering the Santa Fe area, NM 14 meets Interstate 25 at the second of four interchanges for the capital city in 3.5 miles. NM 14 travels 44.90 miles north from I-40 at the Sandia Mountains to Santa Fe north of the Cerrillos Hills. 04/28/17
Crossing over Cienega Creek, I-25 continues a mile and a half to NM 599 (Veterans Memorial Highway). The ensuing ten miles runs along the south side of the Santa Fe city limits. 04/28/17
NM 599 (Santa Fe Relief Route), a 14.02 mile long expressway, encircles the west and north side of Santa Fe between NM 14 (Cerillos Road) and U.S. 84/285 (St. Francis Drive). 04/28/17
NM 599 south provides a cutoff from I-25 north to NM 14 (Cerillos Road). NM 14 travels south to Madrid while NM 599 (Veterans Memorial Highway) provides a truck route to U.S. 84 west & 285 north to Espanola and Los Alamos. 04/28/17
NM 599 (Santa Fe Relief Route) provides access to the west side of Santa Fe including the Municipal Recreation Complex, Santa Fe Regional Airport (SAF), and the Downs At Santa Fe site. Bandelier National Monument lies northwest of Santa Fe via U.S. 84/285 and NM 502. 04/28/17
Construction started on January 26, 2009 reconfigured the parclo interchange (Exit 276) with NM 599 into a diamond. The redesign accommodated a 250 space parking lot for the Rail Runner Express station built within the exchange.2 04/28/17
Exit 276 departs I-25 northbound for NM 599 (Veterans Memorial Highway) south to NM 14 at Avenida Del Sur and north to Agua Fria and the U.S. 85/285 expressway to Española. 04/28/17
Separate ramps (Exits 276A/B) previously connected I-25 north with NM 599 (Santa Fe Relief Route). Exit 276A closed in February 2009 for construction of a new northbound ramp. Exit 276B was removed for access to the Rail Runner Station parking lot.2 06/29/08
Commencing operations on August 1, 2009, the Santa Fe County / NM 599 Station lies within the median of Interstate 25 at Exit 276. A pedestrian bridge spans the northbound roadway, connecting the adjacent parking area with the Rail Runner platform.3 04/28/17
NM 14 (Cerrillos Road) converges with Interstate 25 one mile northeast of NM 599 at Exit 278. Started in June 2015, a $19.8 million project reconfigured the forthcoming exchange from a directional cloverleaf into a diverging diamond interchange (DDI).4 04/28/17
An assortment of retail lines both sides of Interstate 25 between NM 599 (Veterans Memorial Highway) and NM 14 (Cerrillos Road). 04/28/17
NM 14 (Cerillos Road) follows the pre-1937 route of U.S. 66 northeast into Santa Fe. 06/29/08
Leading south from Santa Fe to Sandia Park and Cedar Crest, NM 14 is a part of the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway. 06/29/08
The DDI with NM 14 (Cerrillos Road), the first in the state of New Mexico, was completed on October 31, 2016.5 04/28/17
Heading northeast from Exit 278, NM 14 (Cerrillos Road) constitutes a commercial arterial to Santa Fe Place Mall, Agua Fria at Airport Road (former NM 284), and U.S. 84-285. 04/28/17
The previous configuration at Exit 278 included a free flowing ramp to NM 14 (Cerrillos Road) northbound. NM 14 ends at I-40 and NM 333 at Tijeras to the south and at U.S. 85-284 (St. Francis Drive) outside Downtown Santa Fe to the north. 06/29/08
Interstate 25 continues four miles east to the succeeding Santa Fe interchange. The Sangre De Cristo Mountains rise along the eastern horizon. 06/29/08
U.S. 84 & 285 (St. Francis Drive) bypass Downtown Santa Fe to the west along along an arterial route southward to Interstate 25 at Exit 282. 04/28/17
U.S. 84 & 285 connect the Santa Fe area with Española, Los Alamos, and Taos to the north. 04/28/17
St. Francis Drive stems north from Rabbit Road (FR 2100) and Old Agua Fria Road (FR 2101) to NM 466 (St. Michaels Drive) near St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. Following Taos Highway, U.S. 84 & 285 (Taos Highway) combine 37 miles north from Exit 282 to Hernandez. 06/29/08
Exit 282 separates with direct ramps to U.S. 84/285 (St. Francis Drive) north to Downtown and St. Francis Plaza and south to the frontage road system. 04/28/17
Interstate 25 North U.S. East U.S.
Although unmarked, U.S. 84 east and U.S. 285 south accompany Interstate 25 along the southeasterly turn from Exit 282 at Santa Fe. 04/28/17
NM 466 constitutes a 4.00 mile route from Exit 284 northwest along Old Pecos Trail and St. Michaels Drive to NM 14 (Cerrillos Road). 04/28/17
The pre-1937 historic alignment of U.S. 66 follows NM 466 southeast from Santa Fe. Old Pecos Trail extends north from the state road to museums and historic sites in Downtown Santa Fe. 04/28/17
NM 466 concludes at Rabbit Road just south of the parclo interchange (Exit 284) with I-25 & U.S. 84/285. NM 300 begins on the north side of the exchange and lines Historic U.S. 66 south 6.61 miles to U.S. 285 (Santa Fe Trail) at Exit 290. 04/28/17
Northbound Interstate 25 navigates southward through a valley alongside the Cerros Negros to the separation with U.S. 285 at Exit 290. 04/28/17
A second distance sign references the split with U.S. 285 south, Glorieta, and Las Vegas in metric units. 04/28/17
The freeway makes an S-curve across at mile marker 285. 06/29/08
Interstate 25 doubles as the Santa Fe Auto Tour Route. A trailblazer stands along the freeway ahead of the Nine Mile Road overpass. 06/29/08, 04/28/17
The roadways of I-25 separate to the northeast of Canyon Ancho. 06/29/08
U.S. 285 splits with I-25 north & U.S. 84 east at a diamond interchange (Exit 290) in one mile. Located 41 mile to the southeast, Clines Corners is the cross roads where U.S. 285 meets Interstate 40. 04/28/17
The initial stretch of U.S. 285 leading away from Interstate 25 & U.S. 84 serves the communities of Eldorado at Santa Fe and Lamy. 04/28/17
Exit 290 leaves I-25 north & U.S. 84 east for U.S. 285 south and NM 300 north along old U.S. 66/85. U.S. 285 is a regional highway joining the Santa Fe area with Roswell and Carlsbad in southeastern New Mexico. 04/28/17
Interstate 25 North U.S. East
With the freeway topping out at 7,200 feet above sea level, Interstate 25's roadways separate at mile marker 291. 04/28/17
Interstate 25 dips southward on the three mile drive to Exit 294 for Cañoncito. The freeway proceeds northeast from there another five miles to Glorieta. 04/28/17
Navigating through a gap alongside Old Las Vegas Highway (historic U.S. 85), I-25 & U.S. 84 make a sharp curve and lower to 6,920 feet in elevation. 04/28/17
Old Las Vegas Highway (FR 2110 / former NM 300) ties into Interstate 25 north & U.S. 84 east at a diamond interchange (Exit 294) in one mile. 04/28/17
Canoncito is a railroad siding along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe line near the exchange with old U.S. 85 and Sleeping Dog Road. The Glorieta Unit of Pecos National Historical Park lies south of Exit 294. 04/28/17
Progressing north from Exit 294 across Apache Canyon, I-25 & U.S. 84 rise 500 feet in elevation between the Santa Fe Mountains and Glorieta Mesa. 04/28/17
Entering Santa Fe National Forest by Grasshopper Canyon, Interstate 25 wholly replaced old U.S. 66-85 on this stretch. 04/28/17
Exit 297 connects I-25 & U.S. 84 with isolated sections of old U.S. 66-85 at Valencia. 04/28/17
Jesus Gonzales Road (FR 2111) and Sabino Gonzales Road (FR 2112) tie into the diamond interchange with Interstate 25 at Exit 297. There is no outlet from this exchange. 04/28/17
Interstate 25 curves back to the southeast through Glorieta Pass (el. 7,500 ft). 04/28/17
Approaching Glorieta and the west end of NM 50 at Exit 299. 04/28/17
NM 50 branches 6.03 miles east from Interstate 25 to NM 63 at the village of Pecos. NM 63 runs south to Pecos National Historical Park. 04/28/17
NM 50 follows the pre-1937 alignment of U.S. 66 from Glorieta to Pecos. Additionally old U.S. 84-85 are accessible via La Joya Road south to Old Denver Highway (FR 2114), the north side frontage road for I-25 south to NM 63. 04/28/17
Interstate 25 north at the diamond interchange (Exit 299) with NM 50 (Santa Fe Trail) and Fire Station Road west. NM 50 was a part of U.S. 84 & 85 until the early 1950s.1 04/28/17
The roadways of I-25 separate again as the freeway proceeds southeast along the north slopes of Glorieta Mesa. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad parallels to the south. 04/28/17
Northbound Interstate 25 crosses the San Miguel County line north of Cerro de Escobas (el. 8,212 ft). 04/28/17

Sources:
  1. Details of New Mexico State Routes 1-25. steve-riner.com.
  2. "Work Begins on N.M. 599 Train Station." Santa Fe New Mexican, The (NM), January 22, 2009.
  3. "Unique Train Stop - During Opening of Rail Runner Station at N.M. 599, Governor Announces Sunday Service Starting Labor Day Weekend." Albuquerque Journal (NM), August 1, 2009.
  4. "Construction To Begin on I-25 / NM 14 (Cerrillos Road) Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI)." New Mexico Department of Transportation, press release. June 4, 2015.
  5. "NM makes diamond out of rough highway - Interchange now open on I-25 is first of its kind in NM." Albuquerque Journal (NM), November 1, 2016.


Photo Credits:

06/29/08, 04/28/17 by AARoads

Connect with:
State Road 599 - Veterans Memorial Highway

Page Updated 04-09-2019.

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