Central Avenue (Albuquerque)
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|---|---|
| Length | 17.4 mi (28.0 km) |
| Location | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Coordinates | 35°05′00″N 106°38′32″W / 35.08333°N 106.64222°WCoordinates: 35°05′00″N 106°38′32″W / 35.08333°N 106.64222°W |
| East end |
 I-40
|
| Major junctions |
 NM 556 I-25 NM 47
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| West end |
I-40
|
Central Avenue is a major east-west street in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which historically served as the city's main thoroughfare and principal axis of development. It runs through many of Albuquerque's oldest neighborhoods, including Downtown, Old Town, Nob Hill, and the University of New Mexico area. Central Avenue was part of U.S. Route 66 from 1937 until the highway's decommissioning in 1985 and also forms one axis of Albuquerque's house numbering system. It was also signed as Business Loop 40 until the early 1990s when ownership of Central Avenue was transferred from the New Mexico State Highway Department to the City of Albuquerque.
Central follows a primarily east-west alignment from Paseo del Volcán (Atrisco Vista Boulevard) on the western outskirts of the city to Tramway Boulevard (NM 556) near the mouth of Tijeras Canyon. Both ends terminate at Interstate 40, which replaced Route 66 as the primary east-west route through Albuquerque. Along the way Central passes through the historic Old Town, Downtown, EDo, Huning Highlands, Silver Hill, University, Nob Hill, and Highland neighborhoods. The street crosses the Rio Grande just southwest of Old Town, passing through the old neighborhood of Atrisco. Central then passes through the heart of Albuquerque's west side before climbing Nine Mile Hill on the city's western limits.
The route that is now Central Avenue has existed in some form since prehistoric times, linking Tijeras Canyon and points east with a good ford of the Rio Grande near present-day Old Town. Originally a Native American trading route, the trail later connected Albuquerque with the outlying settlement of Carnuel. It was upgraded to a wagon road by the U.S. Army in 1858.
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