The Back Road Meets the Main Road

The southern endpoint of NM 240 is shown here at NM 68 in Ranchos de Taos. NM 68 and NM 240 both connect Taos and Ranchos de Taos. NM 240 is the back road through picturesque rural areas steeped in a longstanding agricultural and Hispanic heritage. NM 68 is where all the fast food and strip malls are. The routes almost meet again a block south of the old Taos plaza, but the NM 240 designation appears to end on a city street a block west of where that street connects with NM 68.

At the intersection, note the five-light signal configuration with the signals for a protected turn arranged in a column next to the signals for through traffic. Such a configuration is frequent in some other states, but rare in New Mexico.

This photograph was taken in May 2008.