Route 66, State maintained from Albuquerque to Rio Puerco
a.k.a. Laguna cut off
Rte. 66. West Central exit at I-40 to the Rio Puerco Bridge, Albuquerque, NMAlthough this portion of the highway was not paved and officially designated as Route 66 until 1937, it was included as mileage in the state's Federal Aid Projects (FAP 178-A and B) in 1932, anticipating its inclusion as a part of Route 66. Federal funding was then used to construct the Rio Puerco Bridge in 1933. When the bridge, to be included as an individual property in a separate multiple property submission treating the historic bridges of New Mexico, was completed many travelers used the so-called "Laguna Cutoff" rather than the official alignment of Route 66, which was several miles long. Many who traveled the highway during the period of significance recall the vistas at Nine Mile Hill, especially the views of Mt. Taylor and of Albuquerque at night, as some of the most inspiring in the American West. This section of state-maintained Route 66 is significant for its association with the rise of automobile tourism in New Mexico.
Local significance of the structure:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.