New Mexico State Road 26
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by NMDOT | ||||
| Length: | 47.862 mi (77.026 km) | |||
| Existed: | 1905 – present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| Southwest end: |
 US 180 near Deming
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| Northeast end: |
 I-25 near Hatch
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| Location | ||||
| Counties: | Luna, Sierra, Doña Ana | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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New Mexico State Road 26 (NM 26) is a 47.862-mile-long (77.026 km) paved, two-lane state highway in Sierra, Luna and Doña Ana counties in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It travels southwest-to-northeast largely following the main trunk of the ATSF railroad.
The southwestern terminus of NM 26 is at intersection with US 180 north of Deming. The northeastern terminus is north of Hatch at the interchange with I-25.
NM 26 is an important connecting road between I-10 and I-25 west of Las Cruces.
In the vicinity of Deming NM 26 is also known as Hatch Highway.
The highway begins just north of Deming at the intersection with US 180. For the first 3.25 miles the road travels mostly east-northeast until it closes in with the ATSF railroad trunk. From that point on the highway turns northeast and follows the railroad track. The road travels through the Chihuahuan Desert with southern slopes of Cooke's Range mountains skirting from the north. At approximately 14 mile mark Cooke's Peak, named after Captain Philip St. George Cooke, and the tallest mountain in the Cooke's Range, can be seen to the north of the highway. At 14.45 miles NM 26 intersects with CR A019 (Cooke's Canyon Rd) providing access to Cooke's Canyon, Cooke's Spring and Fort Cummings historic site. At 22.53 miles wind turbines can be seen to the north of NM 26 which are part of the Macho Springs Wind Farm built in 2011 and generating 50 MW of windpower. After 27.722 miles (44.614 km) NM 26 intersects with NM 27 in a ghost town of Nutt and changes direction to slightly more easterly. At 36.261 miles (58.356 km) the road leaves the Luna County and briefly enters Sierra County and exits it into Doña Ana County at 37.146 miles (59.781 km). The highway continues following the railroad tracks and passes by Hatch Municipal Airport at 44.575 miles (71.737 km). After about a mile, NM 26 reaches community of Placitas where it intersects with NM 187 turning eastward. Travelling through Hatch NM 26 meets with NM 185 0.327 miles (0.526 km) further and turns north at the intersection. At 47.454 miles (76.370 km) NM 26 crosses the Rio Grande river over a 691.3 feet (210.7 m) bridge, built in 1965, and arrives at its northeastern terminus 0.380 miles (0.612 km) later.
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