High Road to Taos to get safety upgrade

The New Mexico Department of Transportation is preparing to widen and straighten one of the steepest, most scenic and dangerous stretches of the route known as the High Road to Taos.

[David Gunter]

As someone who drives this road every day during the "rush hour" time between 6am and 7am I can applaud the addition of shoulders. However, if they truly want to reduce accidents they should make this road two lanes on both sides so that the majority of vehicles traveling at 65mph can safely pass those of us driving 45mph instead of crossing the double solid yellow line in a game of driver's roulette.

Perhaps this is asking too much but increased patrols in the area during the morning hours might help. The only times I see the highway patrol or sheriffs cars in the area is the week leading up to the Chimayó walk.

[Tom Ribe]

This is good news but the real road that needs major work is Hwy 68 along the Rio Grande. That is a deadly road, far out of date for the traffic it bears. People get killed there all the time. Its time to do the hard work of fixing Hwy 68!

[mable]

Highway 68 needs help ... Thid is one of the deadliest roads in New Mexico

[Reality]

Let's get the facts straight here. According to the road signs, the High Road no longer starts in Espanola. Instead it starts at the junction of 503 and 84/285 in Pojoaque and follows 503 east through Nambe, then cuts north to Chimayo.

Interesting question -- why the Transportation Department stores those gigantic blocks of concrete in a huge pile right at the beginning of a "scenic" byway? Do they think they are beautiful?

[Khal Spencer]

Probably not a bad idea, but the added width won't keep the DWI's from killing us, and may actually encourage speeding. But the shoulders will be great for bicycling or someone with a auto malfunction.

I've always wanted to ride my bike from Pojoaque to Truchas but the road is kinda iffy.

[Always]

...thought the High Road to Taos went thru Chimayo on to Truchas, Los Ojos, Las Trampas, etc. Beautiful drive in the fall.

[Ambro]

Dollars to donuts the drunks still drive off the road. Kinda like our state tradition.

[Reality]

Always wrote:

...thought the High Road to Taos went thru Chimayo on to Truchas, Los Ojos, Las Trampas, etc. Beautiful drive in the fall.

I wasn't commenting on where the road goes after Chimayo going toward Taos. I was just commenting on how it gets to Chimayo. The article said that it started at Espanola which may have been correct at one time, but now the High Road starts in Pojoaque.

It is important -- IMO -- because the highway people maintain an eyesore right there at the beginning of the scenic byway and it has been there for considerably more than a year.

[redwhiteandBLUE]

Is Picuris Pueblo far up in Taos Mounyains ? Is there winding dangerous roads ? Can someone give me information on how to get to Picuris?