City, county prepare for Route 66 anniversary with revitalization of South Valley roads

Alaina Mencinger , Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
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Aug. 10—It may have been Gallup, New Mexico that netted a reference in the 1946 hit "Route 66." But city and county officials are hoping that, come 2026, Albuquerque will be the place to stop.

Albuquerque City Council and the Bernalillo County Commission this month both voted on resolutions to work together to revitalize Sunset Road and Isleta Boulevard, from Central to the Pueblo of Isleta, ahead of the 100-year anniversary of the United States' most famous freeway.

"By preserving and enhancing these stretches of Isleta and Sunset, we'll be able to maintain the story of our history for future generations," Quezada said in a news release.

The resolutions, sponsored by City Councilor Klarissa Peña and County Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada, passed unanimously in both city council and county commission.

"For those of you that don't know, this is probably the original Route 66 before they moved it around, historically," Quezada said at the Tuesday County Commission meeting. "So this is something that we found should really get some love and attention."

The two roads started as stretches of the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, a silver trade route between Mexico City and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. The route was added to the National Trails System by the National Park Service in 2000.

Revitalization plans include adding a pedestrian path along the historic trail and new amenities and design elements to "make the trail visible, distinct and relevant for visitors."