US 66 1926 Routing, Los Lunas to Albuquerque to Santa Fe questions.

[Exit58]

I'm planning a trip along old Route 66 in New Mexico and I'm trying to find out the original alignment from Los Lunas to Albuquerque, then from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. According to maps I have seen, the 1926 routing leaves I-40 around Mile Marker 120. It later merges with modern NM 6 into Los Lunas, and the last thing I was able to find showed US 66 going up what is now NM 47. After that though, I have nothing until Albuquerque proper, where US 66 entered along modern Isleta Blvd/NM 314, where all three bend right at Goff Blvd to Bridge Blvd, where it crosses the Rio Grande and turns left onto 4th St (Google also has this marked as a 'Route 313' in a County Route style box, but named State Highway 313. Any calcification on this would be nice). The only explanation I can come up with to make this connection is US 66 went up modern NM 147 to NM 314. Is this assumption correct? From there is continued up 4th to where NM 47 now ends and briefly merges with modern NM 556 to continue on NM 313. After Algodones, it appears to disappear under I-25, and the later 1930's alignment exits at NM 14 to head into Downtown Santa Fe. (I know of the early alignment near the airport, but it has no connection to the Interstate and appears to just be reconstructed road).

The final question is, did US 66 run down the Old Santa Fe Trail to the Old Pecos Trail to head out of Santa Fe, joining I-25 at exit 284, or continue down Old Santa Fe Trail and CR-67? I cannot find a definitive answer on this. TIA!

[The High Plains Traveler]

NM-47 existed as a separate route from Los Lunas to Albuquerque back to the 1930s if not before. U.S. 66/85 went up the west side of the Rio Grande, along today's NM-314. To follow what I think is the historic alignment of 66 and more modern 85 out of Santa Fe to the southeast, follow Old Pecos Trail and Old Las Vegas Highway (NM-300), which closely follows I-25 to the west side of Glorieta Pass. It's interesting to note that the names Old Santa Fe Trail and Old Pecos Trail are modern; originally, that road had the very unhistoric name College Street. Old Santa Fe Trail where it angles off and Old Pecos Trail begins was originally Pecos Road. Now I'm confused too.

[US 89]

I would have figured NM 314 was the original 66/85 alignment, especially since it follows the railroad and connects more directly with other old 85 alignments like NM 116, as well as being the Business Loop through Belen.

I do know for sure that 66/85 came into Albuquerque from the south on NM 314 (Isleta and Bridge Blvd), and then went north on 4th Street. As for 313 on 4th Street, it’s most likely that NM 313 used to continue south from its current terminus (NM 556) on 4th Street all the way to Bridge (NM 314) but was then relinquished to the city of Albuquerque. (The same thing happened with NM 47 and 314, by the way; all of these highways now end at or near the Albuquerque city limits.)

It’s also worth noting that 4th St is now a pedestrian plaza between Tijeras St and Marquette St in downtown Albuquerque.

As for the route in Santa Fe, there is this 1934 Rand McNally map on usends.com:



If this is the original alignment, then 66 and 85 entered from the southwest on Cerrillos Rd and used a complicated series of one-way streets to get to the Plaza. From there, it went south on Shelby St, east on Alameda, and south on the Old Santa Fe and Old Pecos Trails.

The more interesting story is why US 66 was moved out of Santa Fe to begin with. The incumbent governor lost his re-election and blamed it on dirty tricks by Santa Fe politicians. To get even with them, he forced the construction of a bypass route straight into Albuquerque from the east, removing Santa Fe from cross country traffic.

[Exit58]

The more interesting story is why US 66 was moved out of Santa Fe to begin with. The incumbent governor lost his re-election and blamed it on dirty tricks by Santa Fe politicians. To get even with them, he forced the construction of a bypass route straight into Albuquerque from the east, removing Santa Fe from cross country traffic.

Haha I actually read about that and thought it was interesting. If true, it was a good form of payback.

NM-47 existed as a separate route from Los Lunas to Albuquerque back to the 1930s if not before. U.S. 66/85 went up the west side of the Rio Grande, along today's NM-314.

Well, I got a chance to poke around the David Rumsey catalog, and thought I'd share my findings. Two maps I found from 1927 (National Map Co in white, Rand McNally in yellow) show US 85 meeting US 66 at a T-junction in Los Lunas (I assume this is modern NM 314). From there, they both traveled east along Main St in Los Lunas, crossed the Rio Grande the first time, and NM 47 joined at it's current T-junction. This continued until Isleta (now on Google Maps as Isleta Village Proper), where US 66/85 branched off onto modern NM 147, crossed the Rio Grande a second time and continued onto modern NM 314. This appears to have been a very short alignment, as my 1936 (possibly earlier) Shell/Gousha map shows US 66 turning left onto US 85 and heading north, both still going to Santa Fe (now NM 314). Attached is also a modified screen shot of Google Maps. I added extra route markers to make it clear what's what. Judging by the curves, NM 47 from Los Lunas to Isleta was US 66 and US 85 from 1926 - early 1930's.

[Exit58]

Ok, so I have done more digging on the earlier alignments. It appears US 66 went through Santa Fe until 1937 when it was re-routed through Albuquerque along what is essentially I-40 nowadays, I'm sure this common knowledge. I'm sure it's also common knowledge that US 66 originally went up La Bajada until 1932. From what I can tell, 66's 1926-1937 alignment took modern NM 313 from the NM 556/NM 313 traffic circle in north Albuquerque to San Filipe, where the 1926-1932 route went up Main St/Indian Service Route (ISR) 84. ISR 84 becomes ISR 88 in Santo Domingo/Kewa Pueblo. Near the abandoned rail yard on the east side of Santo Domingo/Kewa, it cut north before turning north-northeast onto what becomes ISR 841.

The original road is abandoned near modern NM-16, but it took a beeline along the power lines to continue on the south side of modern Tetilla Peak Rd. An improved road seems to T-off Tetilla Peak Rd and follow the alignment. That takes you to the base of La Bajada. Following the road east, it eventually turns into County Road 56C/Paseo Real. A new therapeutic riding center now sits on the old road and uses part of it as their driveway on the east side, but 56C was re-routed to T at Paseo Real. CoRd 56/Paseo Real becomes NM-284/Airport Rd at the junction with NM-599. 1926-1932 US 66 would then go up NM-14/Cerrillos Rd into Santa Fe. Most likely this was not shown in detail on maps because this intersection was not considered Santa Fe proper at the time. On the north side of the intersection appears to be some area with no vegetative growth. This is probably a remnant from when the 1932-1937 alignment became the through route on Cerrillos Rd. Most likely, the entire stretch of the 1932-1937 alignment from San Felipe to NM-14/Cerrillos Rd is now under the Interstate as I am not finding any remnants on Google Maps.

US 66/85 then continued on Cerrillos Rd until it merged onto Galisteo St, took Galisteo St to San Francisco St, then San Francisco St to Old Santa Fe Trail. (Old Santa Fe Trail, previously part of Shelby St, is now one-way traffic only from San Francisco to Water, eastbound must turn right on Cathedral then right on Water, and left onto Old Santa Fe Trail). From Old Santa Fe Trail, US 66/85 continued onto Old Pecos Trail (you're right High Plains Traveler, very confusing name swap!) which takes over St. Michaels Dr and NM-466. It then turns left onto Old Las Vegas Hwy/NM-300. I assume this intersection was also reconstructed with the construction of the Interstate to extend NM-466/Old Pecos Trail for another interchange.

NM-14 was reconstructed when the Interstate came through to support one of the strangest interchanges I have ever seen. This was previously NM-10 (renumbered in the 1950's no doubt, for obvious reasons) and most likely ended at old US 85 until the Interstate was built. When US 85 was moved from it's in-town route to the Interstate bypass, a majority of the old route, at least Cerrillos Rd up to US 84/US 285/St. Francis Dr, was transferred to NM-14 and the remaining sections within Santa Fe were turned over to the city at some point. I am unclear when these portions were returned to the city of Santa Fe. It's possible that NM-14 made a loop around Santa Fe at one point to end at the Interstate, or at least end at NM-466/St Michaels Dr.

Either way, I think we can all agree that New Mexico has a boat load of State Highways. Do they only return roads to cities when requested? They seem to have a lot of in-city routes that are replaced by Interstates and have no reason to remain in the State Highway System.

[US 89]

Either way, I think we can all agree that New Mexico has a boat load of State Highways. Do they only return roads to cities when requested? They seem to have a lot of in-city routes that are replaced by Interstates and have no reason to remain in the State Highway System.

Interestingly, Albuquerque appears to be the opposite, with most of their state highways being decommissioned. Albuquerque had NM 47, 313, 314, 345, part of 528, and old 66 all turned back to the city. NM does have a lot of state highways, but I would have thought they were mostly rural routes and old alignments that were replaced by interstates.

The Salt Lake City and Ogden, UT areas, on the other hand, have a ton of urban state highways.

[Exit58]

Interestingly, Albuquerque appears to be the opposite, with most of their state highways being decommissioned. Albuquerque had NM 47, 313, 314, 345, part of 528, and old 66 all turned back to the city. NM does have a lot of state highways, but I would have thought they were mostly rural routes and old alignments that were replaced by interstates.

The Salt Lake City and Ogden, UT areas, on the other hand, have a ton of urban state highways.

I wish there was a definitive guide as to what sections of routes have been returned to local jurisdiction like cahighways does for California. It's hard to find any definitive info.

Anyway, it appears Santa Fe still loves state routes. They have NM-14, NM-300 and NM-466 that have all be supplemented by I-25. They also have NM-599 but looks like that is a limited-access highway, so keeping it in the system would be expected. I just don't understand New Mexico's (and Utah's as well it seems) want or need to keep these roadways around. At least here in Arizona, as soon as the freeway is built the original road gets turned back to local authorities. In California, the road is put up for relinquishment which municipalities usually take because the state normally gives them money for improvements to the road.