US 70 over San Augustin Pass

[Max Rockatansky]

San Augustin Pass is a gap in the Organ Mountains, San Augustin Mountains and San Andres in Dona Ana County east of Las Cruces.  San Augustin Pass lies an elevation of approximately 5,600 feet above sea level and was originally traversed by New Mexico State Route 3.  US Route 70 would be realigned over San Augustin Pass during 1934 when it was extended to Los Angeles, California.  During 1963 US Route 82 would be extended through San Augustin Pass to Las Cruces.  Since the early the early 1990s signage of US Route 82 has been withdrawn to Alamogordo.  San Augustin Pass and US Route 70 are largely known for the numerous closures due to test firings originating from the White Sands Missile Range. 

https://www.gribblenation.org/2023/11/us-route-70-over-san-augustin-pass.html?m=1

[abqtraveler]

San Augustin Pass is a gap in the Organ Mountains, San Augustin Mountains and San Andres in Dona Ana County east of Las Cruces.  San Augustin Pass lies an elevation of approximately 5,600 feet above sea level and was originally traversed by New Mexico State Route 3.  US Route 70 would be realigned over San Augustin Pass during 1934 when it was extended to Los Angeles, California.  During 1963 US Route 82 would be extended through San Augustin Pass to Las Cruces.  Since the early the early 1990s signage of US Route 82 has been withdrawn to Alamogordo.  San Augustin Pass and US Route 70 are largely known for the numerous closures due to test firings originating from the White Sands Missile Range. 

https://www.gribblenation.org/2023/11/us-route-70-over-san-augustin-pass.html?m=1

Given that US-82 has been truncated back to the intersection of White Sands Boulevard and the Alamogrodo Relief Route at the northern end of Alamogordo, I still find plenty of remnant US-82 signs between Alamogordo and Las Cruces. There are several remnant US-82 signs on White Sands Boulevard through Alamogordo, and a few on intersecting roads approaching US-70 through White Sands Missile Range.

[Max Rockatansky]

San Augustin Pass is a gap in the Organ Mountains, San Augustin Mountains and San Andres in Dona Ana County east of Las Cruces.  San Augustin Pass lies an elevation of approximately 5,600 feet above sea level and was originally traversed by New Mexico State Route 3.  US Route 70 would be realigned over San Augustin Pass during 1934 when it was extended to Los Angeles, California.  During 1963 US Route 82 would be extended through San Augustin Pass to Las Cruces.  Since the early the early 1990s signage of US Route 82 has been withdrawn to Alamogordo.  San Augustin Pass and US Route 70 are largely known for the numerous closures due to test firings originating from the White Sands Missile Range. 

https://www.gribblenation.org/2023/11/us-route-70-over-san-augustin-pass.html?m=1

Given that US-82 has been truncated back to the intersection of White Sands Boulevard and the Alamogrodo Relief Route at the northern end of Alamogordo, I still find plenty of remnant US-82 signs between Alamogordo and Las Cruces. There are several remnant US-82 signs on White Sands Boulevard through Alamogordo, and a few on intersecting roads approaching US-70 through White Sands Missile Range.

In reality it hasn't been truncated, the signage has been just poorly withdrawn.  New Mexico gave it the US 85 treatment and just refuses to sign to Las Cruces or submit a truncation application to AASHTO.  To your point, there is some left over US 82 signage if you look carefully.

[US 89]

Aren't there still some new-ish US 80 signs in Deming or Lordsburg? NM has huge volumes of old signage even on routes that have been moved or truncated. I know there were US 66 signs in Albuquerque until quite recently.

As another example, looking only at signs on the ground, the routes of US 54 and 84 through Santa Rosa are...ambiguous to say the least.

[abqtraveler]

Aren't there still some new-ish US 80 signs in Deming or Lordsburg? NM has huge volumes of old signage even on routes that have been moved or truncated. I know there were US 66 signs in Albuquerque until quite recently.

As another example, looking only at signs on the ground, the routes of US 54 and 84 through Santa Rosa are...ambiguous to say the least.

You can still find remnant Business I-40/US-66 signs along Central Avenue in Albuquerque.  Here's a recent GSV of one near Old Town.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.0946185,-106.6705748,3a,75y,119.83h,86.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1scYVBrhHBUsnUATYZQWOyzQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

[DJStephens]

That appears to be a fairly "newish" panel.   In typical error fashion, they denoted "66" in the black and white standard sheild, instead of the brown bordered "historic 66" sheild that should have been used. 

[kphoger]

You can still find remnant Business I-40/US-66 signs along Central Avenue in Albuquerque.  Here's a recent GSV of one near Old Town.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.0946185,-106.6705748,3a,75y,119.83h,86.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1scYVBrhHBUsnUATYZQWOyzQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

That appears to be a fairly "newish" panel.   In typical error fashion, they denoted "66" in the black and white standard sheild, instead of the brown bordered "historic 66" sheild that should have been used. 

Judging by GSV, it appears to have been installed during 2017 road construction.

[jtespi]

Anyone notice how the third passing/truck lane is quick to end on US-70 westbound coming into Las Cruces?
Right after the San Augustine Pass summit, the lane comes to an end abruptly.

Compared to US-70 eastbound, the third lane effectively doesn't end until Aguirre Springs Road due to the additional merging lane from the overlook parking area.

The US-70 westbound third lane should continue at least another 700 m (2300 ft) until the first curve after the summit.

[DJStephens]

More importantly, the section through Organ should be made limited access, to match the profile of the section W of Organ.   Extension of one way frontage through Organ, with half diamonds at each side of the hamlet.   The skew of the mainlines is clearly apparent, road needs to be shifted to the S, to straighten alignment.   Current state is more evidence of it's "third world expressway" status.   

[howlincoyote2k1]

Somewhat relevant: I really want to see a US 70 bypass northwest of Las Cruces. Traffic wanting to travel between Alamogordo/Ruidoso/SENM and points west on I-10 have two options; slog through Las Cruces and fight the traffic and stoplights, or use the 10/25 junction which is waaaaaaaaay out of the way.

[Max Rockatansky]

Somewhat relevant: I really want to see a US 70 bypass northwest of Las Cruces. Traffic wanting to travel between Alamogordo/Ruidoso/SENM and points west on I-10 have two options; slog through Las Cruces and fight the traffic and stoplights, or use the 10/25 junction which is waaaaaaaaayout of the way.

NM 26 functions more or less as the acting bypass for I-10-to-I-25 traffic.

[jtespi]

Somewhat relevant: I really want to see a US 70 bypass northwest of Las Cruces. Traffic wanting to travel between Alamogordo/Ruidoso/SENM and points west on I-10 have two options; slog through Las Cruces and fight the traffic and stoplights, or use the 10/25 junction which is waaaaaaaaayout of the way.

NM 26 functions more or less as the acting bypass for I-10-to-I-25 traffic.

Yeah that's the best option. A northwest freeway/expressway bypass in Las Cruces will never happen.

You have the airport, Picacho Hills, Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, and farming/pecan orchards near Doña Ana in the way.

More importantly, the section through Organ should be made limited access, to match the profile of the section W of Organ.

Why? Do you think the amount of cross traffic warrants it? I know in an ideal world, us road geeks would want more divided highways to have limited access but it just isn't feasible. I don't see the volume of cross traffic in Organ being an issue.

For all intents and purposes I consider US-70 through WSMR limited access since only WSMR employees and not the general public can access the cross roads.

[DJStephens]

Somewhat relevant: I really want to see a US 70 bypass northwest of Las Cruces. Traffic wanting to travel between Alamogordo/Ruidoso/SENM and points west on I-10 have two options; slog through Las Cruces and fight the traffic and stoplights, or use the 10/25 junction which is waaaaaaaaayout of the way.

Was programmed during the sixties and seventies.  Should have been done in the late sixties, to be honest.  Potential corridors were wide open.  Land was cheap, and available cheap.  No one could look ahead in time and figure out the area was going to grow, and attract retirees??  Ostriches with their heads in the sand. The area population tripled in forty years.  Meaning 40,000 (late seventies) to 125,000 city residents now.   More if one counts total county residents.  Look up Anthony Anaya and learn about him, to discover why obsolescence became locked in, and needed projects like these were never done.   And now the idea is to "road diet" and choke down city surface arterials that are antiquated and too narrow.  Crazy.  Decision making on public works has been broken for over four decades now.   

[Bobby5280]

US-70 from Las Cruces going East could have been a more important highway corridor for long distance, cross country traffic. Look at the East-West line that I-10 runs from San Diego to Las Cruces.

At Las Cruces I-10 takes a hard turn, diving down into Texas while US-70 does more to continue that Eastbound line. Decades ago when they were planning the Interstate highway system they could have just as easily pointed I-20 into Las Cruces. That town is directly West of Carlsbad, Big Spring, Abilene and Dallas. I'm sure someone driving from San Diego to Dallas might not appreciate the dip down to friggin' Van Horn.

Interstate highway corridors in the Western US are spaced very far apart from the ones in Eastern half. The situation has remained this way for decades, despite all the population migration taking place. States like Arizona, Texas and Colorado are among the biggest population gainers while states like New York and California are posting net losses.

Anyway, an Interstate quality upgrade of US-70 going East of Las Cruces is not automatically a frivolous, wasteful thing. I think a good case could be made for building a diagonal Las Cruces to Amarillo freeway (but good luck building an Interstate thru Ruidoso). One of the failed "I-66" plans from 20-plus years ago called for routing the Interstate along US-54 from Kansas down thru the TX Panhandle into NM and then on down to either Las Cruces or El Paso.

[pderocco]

Going from Las Cruces to Alamogordo, then straight across to Abilene is only about 25 miles shorter than taking I-10/I-20, and there's a whole lotta nothin through there. Obviously, El Paso deserves an Interstate. As to a diagonal to Amarillo, there's nothing important along that route either, and it's only a little over 100 miles shorter than going via Albuquerque.

[Bobby5280]

Going from Las Cruces to Alamogordo, then straight across to Abilene is only about 25 miles shorter than taking I-10/I-20, and there's a whole lotta nothin through there.

There is just as much "whole lotta nothin" in West Texas as there is in SE New Mexico. Maybe even more. As to that 25 mile difference, that's only if you're following existing highways. From Las Cruces to Abilene via I-10 and I-20 is around 485 miles. It's a little over 400 going straight East from Las Cruces to Abilene using a new terrain route from Las Cruces to Carlsbad and keeping a fairly straight route from there. Not that any of this makes any difference.

El Paso deserves an Interstate

Did I say anything about re-routing I-10? No.

As to a diagonal to Amarillo, there's nothing important along that route either, and it's only a little over 100 miles shorter than going via Albuquerque.

More like 120 miles difference. It's a little over 500 miles driving from Las Cruces to Amarillo via Albuquerque. It's about 380 taking the US-70 and US-60 combo. As for "nothing important" being along the route, that's irrelevant. The point of such a route is giving long distance traffic coming from places like San Diego more direct paths major destinations farther East and Northeast.

[DJStephens]

  The interstate routings in W Texas followed, or overlaid pre-existing US routes.  That's where the towns were and the previous routes was where the traffic was.  I  - 20 replaced US 80 west of DFW, for example.   Pre-existing mountains in W Texas dictated this, and made routing a new terrain Interstate difficult.   Don't believe there was much demand in the forties and early fifties to route an Interstate through Guadalupe Pass.   The traffic then, was on US - 80, farther south.   

[Max Rockatansky]

There still isn't, US 62/180 is plenty adequate between El Paso and Carlsbad as is.  The four lane portion emerging from the New Mexico state line towards Carlsbad is overkill.  I've never struggled to pass anyone in the two lane segments.

[DJStephens]

Oil field commuter traffic can make it hairy. It really should be four lane divided all the way from the east side of El Paso to the NM border.   With an interchange at FM 652.   Not limited access, but four lane divided, with a generous median, something that seems terribly hard to design and execute nowadays.