U.S. Route 54 in New Mexico

From the AARoads Wiki: Read about the road before you go
Jump to navigation Jump to search

U.S. Highway 54

Map
US 54 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NMDOT
Length356.176 mi[1] (573.210 km)
ExistedNovember 11, 1926[2]–present
Major junctions
South end US 54 at Texas state line
Major intersections
North end US 54 at Texas state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew Mexico
CountiesOtero, Lincoln, Torrance, Guadalupe, Quay
Highway system
  • New Mexico State Highway System
NM 53 NM 55

U.S. Route 54 (US 54) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that travels from Griggsville, Illinois, to El Paso, Texas. In the U.S. state of New Mexico, US 54 extends from the Texas state line by Chaparral, New Mexico, and ends at the Texas state line by Nara Visa, New Mexico. The highway runs for 356.176 miles (573.210 km) in New Mexico. Nationally an east–west route but is signed as a north–south route through the state.

Route description

US 54 enters New Mexico in Chaparral as part of the El Paso, Texas metro area network. It also serves as a military highway to connect Fort Bliss in El Paso to Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, New Mexico, (via US 70). The speed limit is 75 mph on the divided highway section upon entering the state to approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of Alamogordo, with a 35 mph zone in Orogrande. Upon entering Alamogordo, US 54 becomes concurrent with US 70. US 54/US 70 then intersects the beginning of US 82 at the north end of Alamogordo (near La Luz). The limit is 60 mph from Alamogordo to Tularosa and 55 mph north of Tularosa, where the concurrency with US 70 ends, and the highway reverts to being two lanes wide and not divided. After leaving Tularosa the speed limit is 65 mph again. The highway runs north through the central portion of the state, passing through Carrizozo and intersecting US 380. The route then turns northeast before passing through Vaughn. Upon entering Vaughn, the route is briefly concurrent with US 60 and US 285. In Vaughn, US 285 splits off to the south. Exiting Vaughn, US 60 splits off to the southeast, and the route continues northeast to Santa Rosa where it becomes concurrent with Interstate 40. The I-40 concurrency lasts for 59 miles (95 km) to Tucumcari. The highway then exits the state back into Texas at Nara Visa.

US 54, US 60 and US 285 in Vaughn
US 54 between Vaughn and Carrizozo


Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[3]kmExitDestinationsNotes
New MexicoTexas line0.000–
0.04
0.000–
0.064

US 54 west – El Paso
Continuation into El Paso, Texas


Bus. US 54 south (Edge of Texas Street)
Otero40.62065.372
NM 506 east
Western terminus of NM 506
Alamogordo64.445–
64.68
103.714–
104.09

US 70 west – Las Cruces, Holloman A.F.B., White Sands
Interchange; southern end of US 70 concurrency; northbound access via at-grade connector road
La Luz71.770115.503
US 82 east
Western terminus of US 82
78.661126.593
NM 545 east
Western terminus of NM 545
Tularosa79.328127.666
US 70 east – Ruidoso, Roswell
Northern end of US 70 concurrency
LincolnCarrizozo123.866199.343 US 380 – San Antonio, Capitan
127.070204.499
NM 349 east
Western terminus of NM 349
135.870218.662
NM 461 east
Western terminus of NM 461
143.466230.886
NM 55 north
Southern terminus of NM 55
145.760234.578
NM 462 east
Western terminus of NM 462
Corona169.696273.099
NM 247 east
Western terminus of NM 247
170.770274.828
NM 42 north
Southern terminus of NM 42
TorranceDuran189.570305.083
NM 3 north
Southern terminus of NM 3
GuadalupeVaughn201.382324.093

US 60 west / US 285 north
Western end of US 60/US 285 concurrency
205.165330.181
US 285 south
Eastern end of US 285 concurrency
205.864331.306
US 60 east
Eastern end of US 60 concurrency
225.124362.302
NM 219 north
Southern terminus of NM 219
Santa Rosa242.751390.670

I-40 BL / Historic US 66 west to US 84 – Albuquerque, Clines Corners, Las Vegas
Southern end of I-40 Bus./Historic US 66 concurrency
243.091391.217
NM 91 south – Softball complex, National Guard armory
Northern terminus of NM 91
243.99392.66 I-40 (US 84) – Albuquerque, TucumcariI-40 exit 275
246.62396.90
I-40 BL / Historic US 66 end / I-40 west / US 84 – Albuquerque, Ft. Sumner
Northern end of I-40 Bus./Historic US 66 concurrency; western end of I-40 concurrency; eastern terminus of I-40 Bus./Historic US 66; I-40 exit 277
254.39409.40284Frontier MuseumExit numbers follow I-40
Cuervo261.04420.10291Cuervo
Newkirk269.70434.04300
NM 129 north – Newkirk
Southern terminus of NM 129
QuayMontoya281.15452.47311Montoya
Palomas291.56469.22321Palomas
Tucumcari298.86480.97329
I-40 BL / Historic US 66 east
Western terminus of I-40 Bus./Historic US 66
300.73483.98331Camino del Coronado
301.88485.83332
NM 209 to NM 104 (1st Street)
303.232488.005
I-40 east – Amarillo
Eastern end of I-40 concurrency, I-40 exit 333
304.322489.759

Historic US 66 (I-40 BL) to NM 209 / NM 104
304.909490.703 NM 237 / Bus. Loop US 54 west (Main Street)Eastern terminus of NM 237/Bus. Loop US 54
325.542523.909
NM 552 west
Eastern terminus of NM 552
325.556523.932
NM 469 south
Northern terminus of NM 469
Logan327.317526.766
NM 540 west
Eastern terminus of NM 540
327.655527.310
NM 39 north
Southern terminus of NM 39
Nara Visa351.734566.061
NM 402 north
Southern terminus of NM 402
356.176573.210
US 54 east – Dalhart
Continuation into Texas
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ "Posted Route–Legal Description" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Transportation. March 16, 2010. p. 20. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  2. ^ Bureau of Public Roads & American Association of State Highway Officials (November 11, 1926). United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC: U.S. Geological Survey. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved November 7, 2013 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  3. ^ "TIMS Road Segments by Posted Route/Point with AADT Info; NM, US-Routes" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Transportation. June 8, 2016. pp. 5–7. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
U.S. Route 54
Previous state:
Texas
New Mexico Next state:
Texas