New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1916-11-17
STATE HIGHWAYS AND
COUNTY ROADS.

One of the best evidences of tn,
value OF a directing authority in tn,
matter of constructing public high
ways consists in the emincntly salts
factory results obtained through tn.
work of the State Highway Commits
sion. The State Engineer, through
whose office all of the work on the
state highways is done, and unde'
whose supervision county roads ano
bridges are constructed, is the Off
cial engineer of this State Highwa,
Commission.
Since New Mexico was admitted in
to the Union OF States, in 1912, nine
ty-six bridges have been bull
throughout the new state. Thirty
three of these are fine steel bridge
over deco, turbulent streams; fifty
n arc wooden %trestIe bridges ore'
less dangerous crossings, and twelve
are small wooden structures from
twenty to two hundred feet lon;
thrown across sandy arroyos. Mos
Of these bridges were built undo
contract. excepting the ones acros.
die arroyos. Whjth were constructed
by the engineers force.
The type of bridge best suited :
local conditions. especially over tn
Pecos River and the Rio Grarle %
ststg ci 81 ty to cj2htv-inot steel u'.
trusscs. on treosoted piers over rh'
mpir channel, and a pile @trcstlc ovt'
the remainder It the stream.
Previous to 1912 the roads throi1'
ont New Mc<ico we're scattered, ir
,%c.u'ar and followed no sy>tyuara
lines. Many OF these original ccuntr,
roads have now become entirely OIL
'iterated. while, on the other hand
where the earlier settlers followed
straight routes across the mesas from.
place to place, forming a solid road.
bed with wagon. wheels alone, the
State Highway Commission has
deemed it wise to preserve many Of
such roads as a part of the plan Of
state highways. These roads are ir
a good state of preservation, needing
only some attention acros %drainages
mostly sandy arroyos. New roads o.
this type also are being constructed
with drags and machines at a cost OF
approximately $50 to 500 a mile
Probably about one-third of the mile
age of the present plan of the system
of state highways includes this type
of road.
The main artery of traffic in the
system of good roads in New Mexico
however, is known as "El Canine
Real" sometimes POLITICALLY translat-
ed as "The Kings Highway" but it,
accurate Interpretation is simply the
Main Road. At the present time this
road is completed a distance Of more
than five hundred miles. from the
state line of Colorado north of Ra.
ton, by the way of Las Vegas, Santa
Fe, Albuquerque. Los Lunas, Socorro
San Marcia1, Rincon, Las Cruces, tt
the state line at Anthony, leading
thence into FL Paso. Texas. 1t viii
be several years. however, before this
road can be brought up to the stand
ard that the State Highway Commits.
sion intends that it shall eventual,
attain. but it is open for traffic the
wear round. even under present stand.
ard and conditions. But the State
Highway Commission has outlined
tentative plans Tor a road system
throughout the state that is c~alculat
Cd to reach all the county seats and
the principal towns and communities
giving due consideration to direct
ness of route. benefits to be derived
and accommodations to settled com
nrinities. with standard plans of road
construction and crossings for rivers