Also note that county routes are marked on these signs. This is not a common practice in New Mexico --- most interstate exits to county roads do not show county route numbers.
U.S. 84-285 Freeway Northwest of Santa Fe
NMDOT has completed construction on New Mexico's second non-interstate freeway segment. U.S. 84-285 is a full freeway with no at-grade intersections (other than locked gates leading into the adjacent Tesuque Pueblo) between NM-599 (the Santa Fe Relief Route) and Pojoaque, a distance of 13 miles. The highway has two through lanes each way, with a third auxiliary lane along much of the route. It is not an "interstate-compatible" design, having been squeezed into the existing right of way, and has virtually no stopping lane provided in the median. The speed limit along most of the route is 65 mph.
Most notable is the length to which the highway has been designed to emphasize the cultural aspects of the area. It runs between two Indian pueblos, and the artwork along the highway, both on retaining walls and bridges, features traditional Indian designs, executed by native artists, of animals and other symbols.
The following are pictures I took along this route.
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Pardon the outline of my car window, but I couldn't find a good pulling-off place other than along the shoulder of the highway. This rattlesnake (along with rabbits, birds, lizards, and other assorted fauna) is typical of the artwork that adorns retaining walls along the southern end of the highway. | ||
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segment of highway is notable because it represents the
only place in New Mexico where exit numbers are used on
non-interstate highway exits. Note that this is U.S.
84-285, and the numbers are for U.S. 84 mileposts. That
is further remarkable because U.S. 84, considered an
east-west route on a national level, is marked as a
north-south route in New Mexico along its length as an
independent route, with Mile 0 at the point where it
leaves U.S. 60 at Ft. Sumner. The furthest south exit is
166, at NM-599 (the exit number there is only marked on
the southbound sign). Also note that county routes are marked on these signs. This is not a common practice in New Mexico --- most interstate exits to county roads do not show county route numbers. |
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| The bridges shown below cross U.S. 84-285 in the Cuyamungue area, closer to the north end of the freeway segment. Note the striking artwork, and the names on the overpasses, which are the original Tewa names for these villages --- names transliterated into the Spanish names we know today. For example, K'uuyemugeh below became Cuyamungue (pronounced "Coo-yah-MOON-gay"), and Posuwaegeh became Pojoaque (pronounced "Po-ho-AH-kay", though you're more likely to hear something that sounds like "Milwaukee"). The second picture below is near the "Buffalo Thunder Road" exit shown above, the first picture about three miles further south. | |||
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Unofficial New Mexico Highways --- Home Page
Created May 15, 2005
Updated March 18, 2006