Rio Rancho, NM - The long stretch of New Mexico State Road 44 in northwest New Mexico is studded with crosses.
Many residents believe the steep curves and narrow road are part of the blame.
After years of waiting, however, residents are finally seeing the highway being expanded into four lanes, and the developer, Mesa, PDC, is making sure the crosses or descansos are going to remain part of the area's landscape. The crosses are part of New Mexico's culture, and are revered by everyone. Mesa, along with their construction managers Flatiron Structures and contractors E.L. Yeager, Sundt, and FNF are workign together to ensure the crosses are protected during construction, and then returned once construction is complete. The efforts are being well received by the communities. NM 44, which runs northwest from Bernalillo to just outside Bloomfield, near the Four Corners, is the primary trade and tourist route into the northwest quadrant of the state.