An early alignment of U.S. 66 followed this historic transportation corridor, perhaps the most well-known road to use this narrow passage through rocky terrain. A Spanish mission trail to Pecos Pueblo, the Santa Fe Trail, and the National Old Trails Road had all used it before the Mother Road. Until the 1930s, Route 66 ran through downtown Santa Fe, exited the city to the southwest, crossed La Bajada, and passed through the famed “Big Cut” before descending into Albuquerque. In 1937, Santa Fe was bypassed and Route 66 was straightened into a direct east-west alignment, eliminating 197 miles of travel.
