New Mexico Roads - NM 1/old US 85

Former US 85


All photos are southbound.


NM 1 begins here from Business I-25 (old US 85) in Socorro, but the sign is wrong. I-25 is to the left, but NM 1 continues straight ahead here.


An old mission church near San Antonio.


Most major desert highways follow railroads.


I-25 in the distance, crossing Nogal Canyon. Without modern bridge technology, NM 1 (old US 85) was built down a ravine and back up the other side of the 200-foot deep canyon, not so bad as old roads go.


Instead of the word "mile," mileposts give the route number, at least on NM state highways. This is more helpful to emergency responders but less helpful to clueless motorists who don't recognize these as mile markers. The first one precedes the Nogal Canyon photos.

Continue south on old US 85 to NM 181
Continue north on old US 85 to NM 313

Onto I-25 and modern US 85

NM 1 scenery
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