Secret passage I25/I40

[eubank]

On our last trip, Maria and I finally nailed down our secret passage to avoid Albuquerque traffic while switching between I40 and I25 (either direction). For those coming from the north, this is essentially a way to get from north I25 to Enchanted Trails (or vise versa) just west of ABQ on I40.

Pretty simple really. Here are directions from Enchanted Trails outward.

Turn north on Atrisco Vista (formerly called Paseo del Vulcan) and follow it. You'll be pretty much all by yourself out on the mesa. At one point, the road will make a hard right, and if a street sign were out there, you'd discover that you're now on Paseo del Norte, still just a little two-lane at that point. Follow it.

Keep on going on Paseo del Norte. Near the bridge over the Rio Grande, it'll become much wider and pretty fast; no fear. That will soon disappear.

Ahead you'll see a branch in the highway. Left onto 2nd/4th Street; right to continue on Paseo del Norte. Take the left side. And turn left/north on 2nd/State 47. You'll immediately notice the drop in traffic.

Continue on 2nd/State 47 north. Ahead it'll intersect with State 313. Go right/north.

Now you just continue on 313 all the way up through Bernalillo and on to the tiny and very old village of Algodones. There you'll see a sign directing you to the interstate. (If you miss it, don't sweat it. Keep on going; you'll wind up at the interstate anyway.)

For those wanting to know, State 313 is essentially part of the old Royal Road up through New Mexico.

So this is how we manage to avoid 99% of Albuquerque traffic on the interstates, complete with all the stress that goes with it.


Lynn

[Zeppelinium]

Nice! thanks.

I've taken that route from the Balloon Fiesta and it works. It's also a nice drive--easy to stop a shops along the way and diesel (this year) was $0.23 cheaper per gallon at two stations than it was out on the Interstate.

Zep

[slowmover]

Always fun to read of alternates. A good way to gig my fellow truck drivers when I find a "short cut" (which may actually be longer, but take less time) which puts me there ahead of them. We all enjoy learning the landscape, as it were.

[eubank]

Actually, I think our "short cut" may be a bit longer and even take more time. But we've got lots of time -- along with a major allergy to the stress of city interstate driving. Been there, done that, don't need any more of it.

Lynn

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by eubank

Actually, I think our "short cut" may be a bit longer and even take more time. But we've got lots of time -- along with a major allergy to the stress of city interstate driving. Been there, done that, don't need any more of it.

Lynn

Thanks Lynn,

I'll file this info for my next trip to Oceanside.
Now if I can just get Arizona to fix I-40 west of Flagstaff.

Ken

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by eubank

Actually, I think our "short cut" may be a bit longer and even take more time. But we've got lots of time -- along with a major allergy to the stress of city interstate driving. Been there, done that, don't need any more of it.

Lynn

I should have added that cutting stress makes any remaining miles that much better driven. A big metro area should always be counted as double -- if not triple -- the actual number of miles driven for trip-planning purposes due to the fatigue-factor per mile.

That's a "short cut" to my way of thinking.

.