| State Road 501 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by NMDOT | ||||
| Length: | 7.3 mi[1] (11.7 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end: | NM 4 near Los Alamos | |||
| To: | Los Alamos | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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State Roads in New Mexico
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New Mexico Route 501 is a very short state highway in New Mexico, United States of America. Its total length is only about 7 miles (11 km). New Mexico Route 501's southwestern terminus is at New Mexico State Road 4 west of Los Alamos. It runs northeast into the town of Los Alamos, where it ends. It passes through the territory of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), which is closed to the public (the public may drive through on Route 501). Guard posts are at either end of the LANL section of the highway, and motorists passing into (but not out of) LANL territory must pause at the posts and be waved through. Under most conditions, no inspections, etc., are performed at the guard posts, but heightened security postures at LANL may lead to more intrusive checks.
New Mexico Route 501 is part of the Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway.[2] Note that the cited reference erroneously describes this segment as highway 502, not 501, in conflict with reference 1. New Mexico State Road 502 is a related but distinct highway that runs east from Los Alamos to a junction with NM 4 and then to the town of Pojoaque. NM 501 and NM 502 together were formerly known as "Business Route 4," as together they formed a business route through Los Alamos, which was bypassed by NM 4.