Lou Henson Highway | ||||
NM 28 highlighted in red | ||||
Route information | ||||
Maintained by NMDOT | ||||
Length | 30.346 mi[1] (48.837 km) | |||
Existed | 1905[2]–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | ![]() | |||
North end | ![]() | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | New Mexico | |||
Counties | Doña Ana | |||
Highway system | ||||
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New Mexico State Road 28 (NM 28) is a 30.346-mile-long (48.837 km) paved, two-lane state highway in Doña Ana County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It travels south-to-north roughly paralleling the Rio Grande.
The southern terminus of NM 28 is at the Texas state line west of Canutillo where Farm to Market Road 259 (FM 259; Canutillo La Union Avenue) ends. The northern terminus is in Las Cruces where it intersects NM 478. It also has an interchange with Interstate 10 (I-10) in Las Cruces, shortly before its terminus.
Route description
[edit]The highway begins west of Canutillo at the New Mexico - Texas state line where Texas FM 259 highway ends. It continues west-northwest for approximately 0.423 miles (0.681 km) before turning mostly north following the Rio Grande on the west side. NM 28 passes through agricultural communities of the Mesilla Valley such as La Union, Anthony, Vado, Chamberino and La Mesa. The highway passes through a multitude of fields, dairy farms, vineyards, and pecan orchards. After 23.04 miles (37.08 km) the road crosses the Rio Grande over a 369.1-foot-long (112.5 m) bridge, built in 1989, and continues on to Mesilla. After passing through downtown Mesilla as Avenida de Mesilla, NM 28 turns northeast and at 29.674 miles (47.756 km) the highway crosses Interstate 10. NM 28 then continues northeast for another 0.672 miles (1.081 km) until its end at the junction with NM 478.
History
[edit]NM 28 was originally created in 1905 by the Territorial Legislative Assembly, and in 1909 it was designated as State Road 28 by the Territorial Roads Commission. After New Mexico attained statehood in 1912, the newly created State Highway Commission redesignated NM 28 as an official state highway. Originally the north terminus of the highway was at intersection with Route 1 in Mesquite. In mid-1930s the highway was extended all the way to Las Cruces. Between mid-1940s and mid-1960s NM 28 was lengthened all the way to US 80/US 85 in Doña Ana and Radium Springs. By late 1960s the highway's northern terminus was shifted back to Las Cruces.[2][3]
New Mexico governor Bill Richardson originally requested the State Transportation Commission to consider renaming NM 28 as the Lou Henson Highway. Reynold E. Romero, General Counsel for the Department of Transportation, appeared before the State Transportation Commission on February 17, 2005, and requested Commission approval of Resolution 2005–02, dedicating State Highway 28 from Las Cruces to Sunland Park as the Lou Henson Highway. The State Transportation Commission approved the resolution to name the southern New Mexico highway after Lou Henson, a retired New Mexico State University basketball coach. Governor Bill Richardson dedicated the historic highway on March 30, 2005, as the Lou Henson Highway, in recognition of the coach.[2]
Major intersections
[edit]The entire route is in Doña Ana County.
Location | mi[4] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
La Union | 0.000 | 0.000 | ![]() | Southern terminus | |
0.423 | 0.681 | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of NM 273 | ||
3.140 | 5.053 | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of NM 182 | ||
3.210 | 5.166 | ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of NM 183 | ||
Anthony | 6.246 | 10.052 | ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of NM 225 | |
7.852 | 12.637 | ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of NM 186 | ||
Chamberino | 10.949 | 17.621 | ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of NM 226 | |
La Mesa | 14.529 | 23.382 | ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of NM 189 | |
San Miguel | 19.025 | 30.618 | ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of NM 192 | |
Las Cruces | 27.851 | 44.822 | ![]() | ||
28.086 | 45.200 | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of NM 101 | ||
28.598 | 46.024 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of NM 359 | ||
28.651 | 46.109 | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of NM 292 | ||
29.631 | 47.686 | ![]() ![]() | I-10 exit 140 | ||
29.934 | 48.174 | ![]() | |||
30.346 | 48.837 | ![]() | Northern terminus | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "NMDOT Posted Route - Legal Description" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Transportation. pp. 8–9. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
- ^ a b c "State of New Mexico Memorial Designations & Dedications of Highways, Structures & Buildings" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Transportation. p. 17. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
- ^ "Details of New Mexico State Routes 26-50". Steve Riner Highways. Retrieved October 29, 2017.[self-published source]
- ^ "TIMS Road Segments by Posted Route/Point with AADT info" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Transportation. pp. 12–14. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
External links
[edit]Geographic data related to New Mexico State Road 28 at OpenStreetMap