New Mexico State Road 599
Encyclopedia
New Mexico Route 599 is a state highway
located entirely within Santa Fe County in New Mexico
, United States of America. It is named the Veterans Memorial Highway. It is also named the Santa Fe Relief Route (both names are used on road signs), which alludes to the highway's original purpose of bypassing the urbanized areas of Santa Fe
and thereby relieving it from shipments of hazardous waste. It passes through less densely developed terrain in and around the northwestern boundary of the municipality. This expressway
's total length is approximately 14 miles (22.5 km). The speed limits on it range from 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour) to 65 miles per hour (105 kilometers per hour).
, before slowing again to 45 mph as it approaches the remaining traffic light
controlled intersection on the route at Airport Road (former NM-284, now Santa Fe County Road 56). As the highway leaves the industrial and residential area near the intersection with Airport Road, the speed limit increases to 55 miles per hour (88.5 km/h) and it crosses the Santa Fe River
. After the river the relief route's western frontage road begins.
The relief route then turns to the northeast and begins a long moderate climb through rolling terrain with grasses and juniper
shrubs punctuated by mostly light residential development, as the road follows at a distance the city's northwestern boundary, until it reaches a diamond interchange
with Camino la Tierra. The western frontage road continuously follows the expressway on this section of the route and it bulbs out (for the purpose of the construction of a future interchange) at two at-grade intersections with local highways controlled by stop sign
s. The western frontage road ends at Camino la Tierra. There are two more at-grade intersections, one of which is an unused stub, on the route as the expressway continues to the northeast and enters the city of Santa Fe's northern incorporated area, which is projected to be developed, but is largely open space. There is another diamond interchange at the route's highest point, which at 7265 feet (2,214.4 m) is almost 1000 ft higher than the route's junction with I-25 approximately twelve miles to the southwest. As the expressway crosses under Ridgetop Road the speed limit decreases to 45 miles per hour (72.4 km/h) and the highway descends promptly into an arroyo
. Less than a mile later NM-599 ends at a trumpet interchange with the U.S Route 84/285 freeway in Santa Fe
.
s in northern New Mexico, NM-599 is paved
for its entire length. Functionally, it is an expressway
by being a divided highway
with no driveway access. Instead, local access is provided by linked frontage road
s or by way of other connecting roads. There are two diamond interchange
s, one partial cloverleaf interchange at the junction with I-25 (which was rebuilt as a diamond interchange in 2009 as part of the construction of a train station in the freeway's median) and several local highways that cross it at intervals, controlled by stop sign
s (none on NM-599 itself) or traffic light
s near the southern end. Upgrades to the expressway are a consideration being undertaken by the New Mexico Department of Transportation's NM 599 Corridor Study.
from Los Alamos National Laboratory
(LANL) north of Santa Fe to the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP) in southern New Mexico near Carlsbad
. Much of the funding for construction of the Route was supplied by the United States Department of Energy
so that WIPP-bound waste from LANL would not have to pass through the center of Santa Fe. However, most of the traffic on the road is general public use and has nothing to do with WIPP waste, which is moved only at infrequent intervals in special convoys. Construction of the Route took place over a period of several years in the 1990s.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
located entirely within Santa Fe County in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, United States of America. It is named the Veterans Memorial Highway. It is also named the Santa Fe Relief Route (both names are used on road signs), which alludes to the highway's original purpose of bypassing the urbanized areas of Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
and thereby relieving it from shipments of hazardous waste. It passes through less densely developed terrain in and around the northwestern boundary of the municipality. This expressway
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
's total length is approximately 14 miles (22.5 km). The speed limits on it range from 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour) to 65 miles per hour (105 kilometers per hour).
Route description
At its southern end, NM-599 begins at the traffic light controlled intersection of itself, Cerrillos Road (NM-14), and Avenida del Sur about two miles south of the municipal boundaries of Santa Fe. The speed limit is 45 miles per hour (mph) as the expressway crosses under and connects mostly at-grade with Interstate 25's (I-25) frontage roads and exit ramps, providing intermediate access from the freeway to a horse racetrack, businesses and homes on the frontage road. After a traffic light on the route at I-25's western frontage road, the speed limit increases from 45 miles per hour (72.4 km/h) to 65 miles per hour (104.6 km/h) for approximately two miles, as the expressway travels north up and over two hills, passing to the west of some of the city's newer neighborhoods and to the east of the Santa Fe Municipal AirportSanta Fe Municipal Airport
Santa Fe Municipal Airport is a public airport located nine miles southwest of the central business district of Santa Fe, a city in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, USA...
, before slowing again to 45 mph as it approaches the remaining traffic light
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
controlled intersection on the route at Airport Road (former NM-284, now Santa Fe County Road 56). As the highway leaves the industrial and residential area near the intersection with Airport Road, the speed limit increases to 55 miles per hour (88.5 km/h) and it crosses the Santa Fe River
Santa Fe River
The Santa Fe River is a river in northern Florida. The watershed of the river is approximately and spreads across southern Columbia, southern Suwannee, western Bradford, far southern Baker, Union, northern and eastern Gilchrist, and northern Alachua counties. The headwaters of the river are...
. After the river the relief route's western frontage road begins.
The relief route then turns to the northeast and begins a long moderate climb through rolling terrain with grasses and juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
shrubs punctuated by mostly light residential development, as the road follows at a distance the city's northwestern boundary, until it reaches a diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
with Camino la Tierra. The western frontage road continuously follows the expressway on this section of the route and it bulbs out (for the purpose of the construction of a future interchange) at two at-grade intersections with local highways controlled by stop sign
Stop sign
A Stop sign is a traffic sign to notify drivers that they must stop before proceeding.-Specifications:The Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals proposed standard stop sign diameters of 0.6, 0.9 or 1.2 metres. UK and New Zealand stop signs are 750, 900 or 1200 mm, according to sign...
s. The western frontage road ends at Camino la Tierra. There are two more at-grade intersections, one of which is an unused stub, on the route as the expressway continues to the northeast and enters the city of Santa Fe's northern incorporated area, which is projected to be developed, but is largely open space. There is another diamond interchange at the route's highest point, which at 7265 feet (2,214.4 m) is almost 1000 ft higher than the route's junction with I-25 approximately twelve miles to the southwest. As the expressway crosses under Ridgetop Road the speed limit decreases to 45 miles per hour (72.4 km/h) and the highway descends promptly into an arroyo
Arroyo (creek)
An arroyo , a Spanish word translated as brook, and also called a wash is usually a dry creek or stream bed—gulch that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain. Wadi is a similar term in Africa. In Spain, a rambla has a similar meaning to arroyo.-Types and processes:Arroyos...
. Less than a mile later NM-599 ends at a trumpet interchange with the U.S Route 84/285 freeway in Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
.
Design
In contrast to several other state highwayState highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
s in northern New Mexico, NM-599 is paved
Pavement (material)
Road surface or pavement is the durable surface material laid down on an area intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway. In the past cobblestones and granite setts were extensively used, but these surfaces have mostly been replaced by asphalt or concrete. Such...
for its entire length. Functionally, it is an expressway
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
by being a divided highway
Divided Highway
Divided Highway is a compilation album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 2003. . All tracks are taken from the albums Cycles and Brotherhood .-Track listing:...
with no driveway access. Instead, local access is provided by linked frontage road
Frontage road
A frontage road is a non-limited access road running parallel to a higher-speed road, usually a freeway, and feeding it at appropriate points of access...
s or by way of other connecting roads. There are two diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
s, one partial cloverleaf interchange at the junction with I-25 (which was rebuilt as a diamond interchange in 2009 as part of the construction of a train station in the freeway's median) and several local highways that cross it at intervals, controlled by stop sign
Stop sign
A Stop sign is a traffic sign to notify drivers that they must stop before proceeding.-Specifications:The Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals proposed standard stop sign diameters of 0.6, 0.9 or 1.2 metres. UK and New Zealand stop signs are 750, 900 or 1200 mm, according to sign...
s (none on NM-599 itself) or traffic light
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
s near the southern end. Upgrades to the expressway are a consideration being undertaken by the New Mexico Department of Transportation's NM 599 Corridor Study.
History
The Santa Fe Relief Route is significant as part of the road network traversed by vehicles transporting radioactive wasteRadioactive waste
Radioactive wastes are wastes that contain radioactive material. Radioactive wastes are usually by-products of nuclear power generation and other applications of nuclear fission or nuclear technology, such as research and medicine...
from Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security , located in Los Alamos, New Mexico...
(LANL) north of Santa Fe to the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP) in southern New Mexico near Carlsbad
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Carlsbad is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,138. Carlsbad is the center of the designated micropolitan area of Carlsbad-Artesia, which has a total population of 55,435...
. Much of the funding for construction of the Route was supplied by the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
so that WIPP-bound waste from LANL would not have to pass through the center of Santa Fe. However, most of the traffic on the road is general public use and has nothing to do with WIPP waste, which is moved only at infrequent intervals in special convoys. Construction of the Route took place over a period of several years in the 1990s.
Major intersections
External links
- N.M. Highways Page
- New Mexico Department of TransportationNew Mexico Department of TransportationThe New Mexico Department of Transportation is a state government organization which oversees transportation in the U.S. state of New Mexico...
- Consolidated Highway Database Section (route log) - WIPP route description