U.S. Route 70 in New Mexico

U.S. Route 70 marker

U.S. Route 70
Route information
Maintained by NMDOT
Length: 451.0 mi (725.8 km)
Existed: 1926 – present
Major junctions
West end: US 70 at the Arizona state line
 

I-10 in Lordsburg
US 180 in Deming
I-10 / US 180 in Las Cruces
I-25 / US 85 in Las Cruces
US 54 from Alamogordo to Tularosa
US 380 from Hondo to Roswell
US 285 in Roswell
US 60 / US 84 in Clovis

US 60 in Texico
East end: US 70 / US 84 at the Texas state line
Highway system
  • State Roads in New Mexico

U.S. Route 70 (US 70) is the portion of an east–west highway in New Mexico that starts at the Arizona state line south of Virden and ends at the Texas state line in Texico.

Route description

After entering the state of New Mexico, US 70 heads southeast. Five miles (8.0 km)[1] after crossing the state line, it serves as the southern terminus for New Mexico State Road 92 (NM 92). US 70 does not have another highway junction for 21 miles (34 km),[1] where it meets New Mexico State Road 464 (NM 464) and New Mexico State Road 90 (NM 90) three miles (4.8 km)[1] north of Lordsburg. At Lordsburg, US 70 joins with Interstate 10 (I-10) eastbound, splitting off in Las Cruces, and becoming Picacho Avenue in Las Cruces. When Picacho Avenue meets Main Street, US 70 follows Main Street northbound. US 70 then crosses I-25, and has been upgraded at this point to a controlled-access highway until entering the foothills of the Organ Mountains.

As a divided highway, US 70 then crosses the Organ Mountains via San Augustin Pass descends to the valley floor of the Tularosa Basin, and next crosses the White Sands Missile Range. Overhead missile tests can close the highway for a few hours; this generally happens once or twice a week, and typically only for an hour at a time.[2][3] The road then passes the entrance to the White Sands National Monument, and shortly after that passes the southern end of Holloman Air Force Base. It then turns northbound, and picks up a concurrency with US 54 upon entering Alamogordo. On the north end of Alamogordo, US 54/US 70 intersects the beginning of US 82 near La Luz. The concurrency with US 54 lasts until Tularosa, and the highway remains divided until US 70 and US 54 diverge. After splitting off to the northeast, US 70 begins an ascent into the Sacramento Mountains and enters the Lincoln National Forest. The road then runs across the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation and near the resort town of Ruidoso. In Hondo, it begins another concurrency, this time with US 380. US 70 then bypasses Roswell to the northwest, together with US 285. US 70 then heads off to the northeast, running through Portales and Clovis before entering Texas at Texico.

History

When commissioned in 1926, ran from present day US 70 in Clovis, New Mexico through Vaughn, Willard all the way to Holbrook, Arizona. In 1932, US 70 was rerouted to El Paso, Texas, and the old routing was transferred to US 60 and US 260.[4] In 1934, the routing of US 70 was changed again, to Las Cruces, the old route transferred to US 54.[5]

Junction list

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
Arizona state line0.00.0 US 70 continues west into Arizona
Hidalgo4.67.4 NM 92 Virden
25.641.2 NM 464 Redrock
27.143.6 NM 90 White Signal, Silver City
Lordsburg29.3–
29.5
47.2–
47.5
NM 494 begin / I-10 Bus. to I-10 Deming, TucsonInterchange eastbound; at-grade intersection westbound; western terminus of NM 494 concurrency
30.148.4 I-10 west / NM 494 south (Main Street)Western terminus of I-10 concurrency, eastern terminus of NM 494 concurrency; I-10 exit 22
See I-10
Doña Ana141.8–
142.3
228.2–
229.0
I-10 east (US 180 east) Las Cruces, El PasoEastern terminus of I-10/US 180 concurrency; I-10 exit 135
Fairacres144.8233.0 NM 359 Mesilla
Bridge over the Rio Grande
Las Cruces146.7236.1 NM 292 Mesilla
147.8237.9 NM 185 / NM 188 Radium Springs, Mesilla
151.1–
151.5
243.2–
243.8
I-25 (US 85) El Paso, AlbuquerquePartial interchange; west end of freeway; I-25 exit 6
151.7244.1Del Rey Boulevard / Telshor BoulevardDirect eastbound exit and westbound entrance
152.4245.3Sunridge Drive / Roadrunner ParkwayNo direct eastbound entrance
152.9246.1Rinconada BoulevardNo direct westbound entrance
153.7247.4Sonoma Ranch Boulevard
155.3249.9Mesa Grande Drive
156.3251.5Porter Drive
157.4253.3Holman Road / Dunn Drive
159.1256.0Weisner Road / Balsam Road
160.7258.6Brahman Road
Organ161.9260.6NASA Road / Baylor Canyon RoadEast end of freeway
170.7274.7Missile Range Headquarters / HTAInterchange
OteroHolloman AFB207.3–
207.9
333.6–
334.6
Holloman AFB Main GatePartial interchange
Alamogordo211.9341.0 To Alamogordo White Sands Airport
213.8–
214.5
344.1–
345.2
US 54 south / White Sands Boulevard El Paso, AlamogordoInterchange; western terminus of US 54 concurrency; White Sands Boulevard not signed westbound
219.3352.9 US 82 Artesia, LubbockWestern terminus of US 82
221.6356.6 NM 545 La Luz
Tularosa229.2–
229.3
368.9–
369.0
US 54 north CarrizozoEastern terminus of US 54 concurrency
Mescalero246.0395.9Hospital, Bureau of Indian AffairsInterchange; serves Mescalero Indian Hospital
250.5403.1 NM 244 Cloudcroft
LincolnRuidoso Downs262.2422.0 NM 48 Capitan
Hondo285.8460.0 US 380 CapitanWestern terminus of US 380 concurrency
See US 380
ChavesRoswell332.9535.8 US 285 south (Main Street south) / US 380 east (2nd Street east) Artesia, BrownfieldEastern terminus of US 380 concurrency; western terminus of US 285 concurrency
337.0542.3 NM 246 Capitan
338.4544.6B
US 70 Truck west / US 285 Truck south (Relief Route) / US 285 north Vaughn, Ruidoso
Interchange; eastern terminus of US 285 concurrency; exit number is for US 285; no exit number eastbound; US 70 Truck exit A
RooseveltElida399.6643.1 NM 114 / NM 330 Dora, Floyd
417.6672.1 NM 480
Portales419.6675.3 Portales Municipal Airport
423.6681.7 To NM 267 Floyd, Melrose
423.9682.2 NM 206 Dora, Tatum
424.2682.7 To NM 88 – Arch
425.6684.9 NM 236 Floyd
425.8685.3 NM 467 Clovis
430.2692.3 NM 202
CurryClovis442.3711.8 US 60 / US 84 east (1st Street west) / NM 209 north (Prince Street) Fort Sumner, Vaughn, Santa RosaWestern terminus of US 60/US 84 concurrency
See US 84
Texas state line451.0725.8 US 70 / US 84 continue east into Texas
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Roswell truck route


U.S. Route 70 Truck
Location: Roswell, New Mexico
Length: 7.5 mi[6] (12.1 km)

U.S. Route 70 Truck (US 70 Truck) runs for seven and a half miles (12.1 km) around the northwest side of Roswell. For it's entire length, it is multiplexed with Roswell's Relief Route (US 285 Truck).

The entire route is in Chaves County.

Locationmi[6]kmExitDestinationsNotes
Roswell0.000.00
US 285 Truck south (Relief Route south) / US 70 / US 380 (2nd Street) Artesia, Ruidoso, Roswell
Western terminus; western terminus of US 285 Truck concurrency; road continues south as US 285 Truck (Relief Rte.)
5.08.0 NM 246 (Pine Lodge Road) Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge
7.111.4A US 70 west / US 285 south to US 380 junction ClovisInterchange; no exit number eastbound
7.4–
7.5
11.9–
12.1

US 285 Truck end / US 70 east (Clovis Highway) / US 285 north
Interchange; eastern terminus; eastern terminus of US 285 Truck concurrency; northern terminus of US 285 Truck
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rand McNally (2007). "New Mexico" (Map). The Road Atlas '07. Chicago: Rand McNally. p. 68.
  2. Crossley, John. "White Sands National Monument, Alamogordo, New Mexico". The American Southwest. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
  3. Signage indicating closings
  4. Sanderson, Dale. "Map of US highway 60 and family, and US 412". Dale Sanderson. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  5. Sanderson, Dale. "End of US highway 70". Dale Sanderson. Map of US highway 70 and family, and US 412; US Highway endpoints in El Paso, TX; US Highway endpoints in Los Angeles, CA;US Highway endpoints in Holbrook, AZ. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  6. 1 2 "Overview of US 70 Truck (Roswell, NM)". Google Maps. Google, Inc. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
U.S. Route 70
Previous state:
Arizona
New Mexico Next state:
Texas
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