New Mexico's Oil Boom

[kphoger]

Signage does have a nasty habit of disappearing on you in NM.  One traveling somewhere rural would be well advised to really research where you are going (especially where to turn).  There was a whole bunch of highways east of Alamogordo that I can think of that had signage spawn in and out existence when it was needed most.

My most recent time in New Mexico had me in the state for 302 miles.  Entered from Texas on US-62/US-180, southwest from Carlsbad, then across on Dark Canyon Road (county highway) to NM-137, and south to Guadalupe Mountains NP.  Return trip was NM-137 all the way up to US-285, over through Carlsbad, east on US-62/US-180, then north on NM-483 to Lovington, north on NM-18 for a bit, then out to Texas on US-82.

Let's see if I can remember all the issues I had in those 302 miles...

1.  Road construction zone speed limit on WB US-62/US-180 between Hobbs and Carlsbad, with no road construction being done or even any equipment to be seen.  But no 'end work zone' sign either, so I had no idea how far the work zone speed limit extended.  Also no regular speed limit sign for miles and miles afterward.  Eventually sped up, no idea if I was speeding.

2.  US-62/US-180 makes a 90° turn to the south in Carlsbad, which is not signed.  All you get is a [US-285 ←→] sign, and you just have to know that US-62/US-180 makes a left turn.  In fact, a block before the intersection, there's what appears to be a pair of reassurance shields, which would imply incorrectly that US-62/US-180 might continue straight.

3.  Where NM-483 approaches Lovington, it makes a 90° turn at a four-way stop, but there is no signage to indicate the turn.  You just have to know it turns there, I guess.

4.  At the four-way stop in (3) above, the [4-WAY] plaque is missing from the NB stop sign, but whatever.  Minor nitpick.

The time before that, I was in New Mexico for fewer miles.  Entered from the south on I-25, west from Raton on NM-72 to Folsom, south on NM-456 and NM-325 with a stop at Capulin Volcano NM, southeast on US-64/US-87 to Clayton, then out to Oklahoma on US-56/US-64/US-412.

Let's see...

1.  At the exit for NM-72 in Raton, there are no shields pointing the way from the exit ramp to NM-72.  Pretty easy to figure out it's a left turn, but still.

2.  The advance junction sign on NM-325 at Capulin has NM-64/US-87 instead of US-64/US-87.  No big deal, I suppose.

3.  In Clayton, after turning left on US-56/US-64/US-412, it would be nice if the reassurance shields would include US-64 in the stack, but I guess it's not all that necessary.