Interstate 25

Infobox road
type=I
route=25

---

alternate_name=
length_mi=1062.77
length_round=2
length_ref=cite web|url=http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/routefinder/table1.cfm|title=Route Log and Finder List - Interstate System - table 1|publisher=Federal Highway Administration|date= 2002-10-31|accessdate=2007-07-07] cite web|publisher=Interstate Guide|url=http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-025.html|title=Interstate 25 @ Interstate-Guide.com|accessdate=2008-02-15]
established=
direction_a=South
terminus_a=Jct|state=NM|I|10|US|180 near Las Cruces, NM
junction=Jct|state=NM|I|40 in Albuquerque, NM
Jct|state=CO|I|70 in Denver, CO
Jct|state=WY|I|80 in Cheyenne, WY
direction_b=North
terminus_b=Jct|state=WY|I|90|US|87 near Buffalo, WY
commons=category

Interstate 25 (I-25) is an interstate highway in the western United States. Its odd number indicates that it is primarily a north-south highway. I-25 stretches from Interstate 10 at Las Cruces, New Mexico, to Interstate 90 in Buffalo, Wyoming.cite web|publisher=Google Maps|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=18418043515694651916,32.264485,-106.731215&saddr=I-25+N+%4032.264485,+-106.731215&daddr=44.365526,-106.689005&mra=mi&mrsp=1,0&sz=15&sll=44.365802,-106.681795&sspn=0.013867,0.028925&ie=UTF8&ll=39.300299,-106.303711&spn=15.355455,29.619141&z=5|title=Overview Map of I-25|accessdate=2008-02-15]

The route is the main north-south highway through Colorado, passing through Cheyenne, Wyoming, near Fort Collins, Colorado, through Denver, Castle Rock, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo, Colorado, and over Raton Pass into New Mexico. The I-25 corridor in Colorado is heavily urbanized, passing just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. This stretch was recently involved in a massive renovation named T-REX [ [http://www.trexproject.com/] ] (TRansportation EXpansion) in Denver, and COSMIX [ [http://www.cosmixproject.com/ COSMIX Project Home Page ] ] (Colorado Springs Metro Interstate Expansion). Major construction for T-REX ended August 22, 2006. COSMIX was completed in December 2007. Several other smaller improvement projects for I-25 are still ongoing within Colorado.

Route description

-
NM
462.12
744.15
-
CO
299.70
482.61
-
WY
300.95
484.62

New Mexico

Interstate 25 begins at Interstate 10's exit 144 in Las Cruces. [cite web|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&channel=s&q=&ll=32.259483,-106.724453&spn=0.048848,0.080338&z=14&om=1|title=I-25 at I-10|work=Google|accessdate=2007-07-07] Immediately, three exits provide access to the city, including one for U.S. Route 70. [cite web|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&channel=s&q=&ll=32.314701,-106.729774&spn=0.195271,0.32135&z=12&om=1|title=I-25 in Las Cruces|work=Google|accessdate=2007-07-07] After this, there are no major cities along the corridor until Albuquerque. However, when I-25 reaches Truth or Consequences, it is parallel to Elephant Butte Reservoir State Park. [cite web|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&channel=s&q=&ll=33.321349,-107.071381&spn=0.772276,1.2854&z=10&om=1|title=I-25 parallels Elephant Butte Reservoir State Park|work=Google|accessdate=2007-07-07]

As I-25 nears Albuquerque, it has interchanges with roads such as U.S. Route 380 and a concurrency with U.S. 60. [cite web|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&channel=s&q=&ll=34.411442,-106.438293&spn=1.524928,2.570801&z=9&om=1|title=I-25 near Albuquerque|work=Google|accessdate=2007-07-07] Getting even closer, State Road 6, former U.S. Route 66, meets up with I-25 in Los Lunas. [cite web|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&channel=s&q=&ll=34.947865,-106.702652&spn=0.37878,0.6427&z=11&om=1|title=I-25 at SR 6|work=Google|accessdate=2007-07-07] Now getting even closer to Albuquerque, there are frequent exits to city streets, [cite web|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&channel=s&q=&ll=35.047284,-106.632442&spn=0.04729,0.080338&z=14&om=1|title=I-25 exits in Albuquerque|work=Google|accessdate=2007-07-07] along with a huge interchange with Interstate 40. [cite web|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&channel=s&q=&ll=35.104918,-106.626134&spn=0.023628,0.040169&z=15&om=1|title=I-25 at I-40|work=Google|accessdate=2007-07-07] Named the Big I, it was given an honorable mention by the United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration for excellence in urban highway design in 2002.cite web|url=http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/eihd/2002/cat1pic8.htm|title=I-25/I-40 System-to-System Interchange|work=Excellence in highway design|publisher=Federal Highway Administration|year=2002|accessdate=2007-07-07]

Leaving Albuquerque, I-25 starts to curve into an east–west orientation as it heads toward Santa Fe. [cite web|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&channel=s&q=&ll=35.44389,-106.092224&spn=0.752943,1.2854&z=10&om=1|title=I-25 nearing Santa Fe|work=Google|accessdate=2007-07-07] I-25 retains that orientation until Las Vegas, where it starts to revert back into its usual north–south orientation. [cite web|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&channel=s&q=&ll=35.639441,-105.157013&spn=0.375557,0.6427&z=11&om=1|title=I-25 near Las Vegas|work=Google|accessdate=2007-07-07] The highway stays this way as it leaves New Mexico and enters Colorado.

Colorado

Interstate 25 has many nicknames though the state's larger cities. In Denver it is called the Valley Highway, the section in El Paso County is named the Ronald Reagan Highway, and through Pueblo it is named the John F Kennedy Highway.

I-25 enters Colorado convert|14|mi|km south of the city of Trinidad. It is the main north-south route through Colorado with a length of convert|300|mi|km. The Interstate exits Colorado in the north about convert|8|mi|km south of Cheyenne, Wyoming. I-25 serves all the major cities in Colorado east of the Rocky Mountains, such as Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Fort Collins. Almost the entire way, from the north to the south, the Rocky Mountains are clearly visible.

There are also several military bases along the route, such as Cheyenne Mountain, Fort Carson and the United States Air Force Academy.

The section of I-25 between the northern border of Pueblo County, Colorado, and the New Mexico state line is named the "John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway", in honor of President Kennedy's support of water resource development in the Arkansas Valley.

Wyoming

I-25 enters Wyoming convert|8|mi|km south of the state capital, Cheyenne. After traveling through downtown, the interstate continues north to Douglas, Wyoming, passing many plateaus and train tracks. Commonly, very long trains can be seen slowly moving alongside the interstate. Around Douglas, the interstate curves to the west towards Casper. Once in downtown Casper, I-25 sharply turns north and continues to Buffalo, where it ends at an intersection with Interstate 90.

History

The section between Romeroville, New Mexico, and Los Lunas, New Mexico, closely follows the original alignment of U.S. Highway 66, which was later shortened and realigned to run straight west from Santa Rosa, now replaced with Interstate 40.

Major intersections

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Auxiliary routes

References

External links

* [http://www.mesalek.com/colo/i25.html Interstate 25 by Matthew Salek]