Route 66 Pre-1937 Alignment in New Mexico

The story of Route 66 is one of constant evolution, a reflection of the burgeoning automobile age and the relentless pursuit of efficiency and safety in road construction. During the early years of the federal highway system, realignments were a common occurrence as engineers sought to optimize routes. While some adjustments were minor, others dramatically altered the path of these vital arteries. One such significant transformation occurred along Route 66 as it traversed the landscapes of New Mexico.

In 1926, when Route 66 was first established, its New Mexico stretch spanned approximately 507 miles. By 1937, a major realignment had shortened this segment to a mere 399 miles, a reduction of over 100 miles. This change was not arbitrary; it was a deliberate effort to create a more direct and manageable route across the state. The original alignment was characterized by a pronounced "S" curve that meandered across the state’s midsection, a design that, while perhaps charming, was ultimately deemed inefficient for long-distance travel.

The initial path of Route 66 in New Mexico presented a unique journey through the state’s diverse terrains and historical communities. Heading west from Santa Rosa, the road embarked on a northward trajectory, traversing nearly 20 miles of expansive, undulating plains. This section, characterized by its remote and sparsely populated landscape, offered travelers a sense of solitude and vastness. The route then intersected the Pecos River, a crucial waterway that had shaped the region’s settlement patterns for centuries. Here, the highway encountered the historic Hispanic communities surrounding Dilia, offering a glimpse into the state’s rich cultural heritage.

Continuing its northward journey, Route 66 meandered through another 25 miles of ranching settlements. These small communities, often nestled amidst rolling hills and grazing lands, provided essential services and respite for travelers venturing across the state. This segment of the road eventually converged with Interstate 25 near Romeroville, situated southwest of Las Vegas. This marked a significant juncture, as Route 66 began to follow the historical corridor of the Santa Fe Trail and the Santa Fe Railroad, two arteries of commerce and migration that had long defined the region’s development.

Following the path forged by the Santa Fe Trail and the railroad, Route 66 traced the scenic Pecos River Valley. This picturesque valley, carved by the meandering river, was dotted with charming villages, each possessing its unique character and history. Travelers would pass through Tecolote, Bernal, San Jose, Rowe, and Pecos, experiencing the cultural tapestry of rural New Mexico. The route then ascended Glorieta Pass, a historically significant mountain passage that had witnessed countless journeys over the centuries. Descending through the narrow defile at Cañoncito, the highway diverged from the railroad alignment, charting a course towards Santa Fe, the state’s capital city.

Entering Santa Fe, Route 66 followed College Street (now Old Santa Fe Trail), a thoroughfare steeped in history and architectural charm. A westward turn onto Water Street brought travelers to the rear of the iconic La Fonda Hotel, a landmark that had welcomed visitors for generations. Leaving the downtown area, the highway proceeded along Galisteo Street, eventually turning south onto Cerrillos Street. This segment marked the beginning of the ascent up the gentle northern slope of La Bajada Mesa, a prominent geological feature that presented a significant challenge for early motorists.

The descent from La Bajada Mesa was a dramatic experience, as the highway navigated a series of hairpin turns down the mesa’s steep southern escarpment. This section, known as La Bajada Road, was a testament to the engineering ingenuity of the time, though it was also notoriously challenging and even dangerous for drivers. At the foot of the mesa lay the village of La Bajada, a small community that served as a welcome point of respite after the harrowing descent.

North of Domingo Station, Route 66 once again aligned with the railroad tracks, running roughly parallel to the east. This stretch meandered through the scenic Sandia Mountains, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. The highway eventually reached Bernalillo, where it closely paralleled the railroad as it entered Albuquerque along Fourth Street. This marked the entry into the state’s largest city, a bustling hub of commerce and culture.

Within Albuquerque, Route 66 crossed the Rio Grande three times, first at the Barelas Bridge, then at Isleta Pueblo, and finally at Los Lunas. These crossings highlighted the river’s central role in the region’s geography and history. Heading west, the highway paralleled the railroad as it ascended the western escarpment of the Rio Grande Valley. The route then curved northwest toward Correo and the Laguna Pueblo, where it resumed its westward trajectory. Crossing the Continental Divide, a symbolic point of geographical significance, the highway descended into the valley of the Puerco River, heading towards Gallup and the Arizona border.

Despite its significance in the early days of automobile travel, much of the original pre-1937 alignment of Route 66 in New Mexico has been lost to time and progress. While the corridor is readily traceable along Interstate 25 and other highways, only a few sections of the original roadway remain intact, particularly in rural areas. The Bureau of Public Roads’ policy of "staged construction," which involved gradually upgrading sections of roads, meant that some segments of the pre-1937 Route 66 never received improvements beyond an initial gravel surface.

For example, the road from west of Santa Rosa to Romeroville, and much of the road west to Santa Fe, remained unpaved during its tenure as Route 66. Similarly, the challenging La Bajada Road was never hard-surfaced until it was realigned three miles to the east in 1932, approximating the current alignment of Interstate 25. While the road south of Albuquerque to Los Lunas was paved by 1926, it was realigned along the west bank of the Rio Grande five years later to eliminate two additional river crossings.

Despite these changes, some sections of the pre-1937 alignment have survived relatively intact. The most notable examples include the roadway passing through the village of Pecos, which was never hard-surfaced during its time as Route 66, the roadway at the La Bajada escarpment, and the section extending from near Algodones south across the Sandia Reservation to North Fourth Street. Short road sections, some now on private lands, may also offer glimpses into the historic roadway.

In contrast, urban sections of Route 66, such as College, Water, and Galisteo Streets in Santa Fe, and Fourth Street and Isleta Boulevard in Albuquerque, were paved during their service to the highway. These streets have remained largely unaltered over the decades, with their current surfaces and curbing indicative of standard urban improvements. While the commercial roadsides have undergone significant development, some buildings associated with automobile tourism before 1937 still stand, though many have been substantially altered. In Albuquerque, a few early tourist courts, gas stations, and a cafe remain, offering a tangible connection to the past.

The routes that preceded the pre-1937 alignment of Route 66 included the Texas-New Mexico Mountain Highway and an arm of the Ozark Trail, which extended from the Texas border at Glenrio to Santa Rosa and then northwest to Las Vegas. The National Old Trails Highway, an alignment included in the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, followed the Santa Fe Trail into the northwest corner of the state at Raton, extended to Santa Fe, then stretched south to Los Lunas and west to Gallup. These earlier routes laid the foundation for the eventual creation of Route 66, building upon existing patterns of movement and trade.

During its early years, the pre-1937 alignment of Route 66 offered motorists a mixed bag of road conditions. The Automobile Blue Book described the section between Santa Rosa and Romeroville as "travel, sandy dirt, and stone, some of which is poor." However, it also acknowledged that pavement extended north from Isleta to Algodones and, by 1928, to Santa Fe. The road from Los Lunas to Gallup was described as "gravel and dirt." These discrepancies reflected the varying priorities of the state highway department and the state’s decisions in allocating federal funds.

Priorities were often given to more heavily used roads, while lesser-used roads, such as those from Santa Rosa to Romeroville, received less improvement funding. Traffic counts showed that Route 66 never carried the same volume of vehicles as U.S. 85. As a result, the sections from Santa Rosa to Romeroville and west from Los Lunas to Laguna received relatively few improvements. In contrast, the section from east of Santa Fe to Los Lunas, which carried traffic through the state capital and the Rio Grande Valley, received many of the early paving projects.

Even without federal funding, some motorists began using the trace west from Santa Rosa, known as "the Santa Rosa cut-off." This new road siphoned traffic away from the Route 66 alignment, further reducing the priority for improvements to the road north from Santa Rosa to Romeroville. A similar development occurred west of Albuquerque with the creation of "the Laguna cut-off," which reduced traffic along the Route 66 alignment from Los Lunas to the Laguna Reservation.

By the early 1930s, engineers for the Bureau of Public Roads were studying the possibility of realigning Route 66. Despite protests from supporters of the original route, by 1932, the Bureau of Public Roads had accepted the request of the State Highway Commission to realign Route 66. The completion of a new bridge across the Rio Puerco in 1933 paved the way for realignment. When the last sections of hard surfacing were completed in 1937, the shorter east-west alignment replaced the original alignment, along with other shorter realignments to eliminate railroad grade crossings.

The inventory of these pre-1937 alignments and their associated roadside properties offers a glimpse into the development that occurred along Route 66 during its early years. The pioneering era of private automobile travel was marked by a concentration of motorist services in population centers. By the 1940s, more gas stations, cafes, and tourist courts began to appear along rural sections of the realigned highway, creating a perception of Route 66 as a linear community. The remaining properties identified with the pre-1937 alignment of Route 66 are primarily located in populated areas such as Bernalillo, Los Lunas, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque.

The primary significance of Route 66’s pre-1937 alignment in New Mexico lies in its reflection of the early federal highway system’s use of existing movement patterns. Historically, New Mexico’s primary orientation had been north and south, with routes following the Rio Grande and Pecos Valleys and relying on infrequent mountain passes for east-west movement. The evolution of Route 66 in New Mexico showcases the ongoing effort to create more efficient transportation networks and the lasting impact of these routes on the state’s landscape and communities.