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Safest driving route from New Mexico


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It depends on where you are leaving from in New Mexico.  Generally speaking the crossing would be at El Paso Tx. The specific crossing there would be at the Santa Teresa crossing in the western suburbs of El Paso. Santa Teresa is actually in New Mexico. 

Where are you leaving from?

 

 

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I doubt that there is any 'data' that suggests that crossing at Del Rio (or Eagle Pass)  vs Santa Teresa is any safer.... it is generally what we are all comfortable with that we choose to do and promote. I've done both routes several times. One is as 'safe' as the other IMO unless one has CURRENT information that says something is happening AT THE MOMENT on one route or another. 10s of thousands of travelers use both routes monthly.

There is data that says that using the Santa Teresa crossing would save you some time and miles but that is also not always an end-all metric. It is over 100 miles and 2+ hours closer to go through Santa Teresa for you. BUT gas will be cheaper if you stay in New Mexico/Texas for more of your trip and there will be much less tolls to pay that way..... maybe as much as $75 less.  AND motels are less of a question mark going the Texas route especially if one has never been the Chihuahua route and doesn't know where to can stay.

When you decide which route to take, get back with us and we can give you some more pointers as to where to stay the night in Mexico. How many nights in Mexico will depend on when you leave the Albuquerque area.

 

 

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Straight down 83 to Laredo, actually Columbia Bridge north of Laredo. Make sure you have up to date GPS and watch out for the POOR railroad crossing on the Lagos de Moreno north bypass. 

If you spend the last night in Cotulla, TX that is an hour from the Columbia Bridge, that opens at 8am and you can be Lakeside in 11 hrs with a couple breaks on the way. Nice rest room as you are leaving the Mex immigration. 

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3 hours ago, RickS said:

I doubt that there is any 'data' that suggests that crossing at Del Rio (or Eagle Pass)  vs Santa Teresa is any safer.... it is generally what we are all comfortable with that we choose to do and promote. I've done both routes several times. One is as 'safe' as the other IMO unless one has CURRENT information that says something is happening AT THE MOMENT on one route or another. 10s of thousands of travelers use both routes monthly.

There is data that says that using the Santa Teresa crossing would save you some time and miles but that is also not always an end-all metric. It is over 100 miles and 2+ hours closer to go through Santa Teresa for you. BUT gas will be cheaper if you stay in New Mexico/Texas for more of your trip and there will be much less tolls to pay that way..... maybe as much as $75 less.  AND motels are less of a question mark going the Texas route especially if one has never been the Chihuahua route and doesn't know where to can stay.

When you decide which route to take, get back with us and we can give you some more pointers as to where to stay the night in Mexico. How many nights in Mexico will depend on when you leave the Albuquerque area.

 

 

I'm looking at the crossing at Colombus, NM. Looks pretty direct from ABQ. Anyone have experience with this crossing?

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Maybe I am misunderstanding you, but...... If you are truly coming down I25 from ABQ, then Colombus will be out of your way (to far west) and add another extra hour and a half and 65-ish miles to your trip.  It will also put you on Mexico 2 'out in the boonies' only to come back to Mexican highway 45.... where you would have been if you crossed at Ste. Teresa.

Santa Teresa is the preferred crossing all along that border....

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19 minutes ago, RickS said:

Maybe I am misunderstanding you, but...... If you are truly coming down I25 from ABQ, then Colombus will be out of your way (to far west) and add another extra hour and a half and 65-ish miles to your trip.  It will also put you on Mexico 2 'out in the boonies' only to come back to Mexican highway 45.... where you would have been if you crossed at Ste. Teresa.

Santa Teresa is the preferred crossing all along that border....

 

19 minutes ago, RickS said:

Maybe I am misunderstanding you, but...... If you are truly coming down I25 from ABQ, then Colombus will be out of your way (to far west) and add another extra hour and a half and 65-ish miles to your trip.  It will also put you on Mexico 2 'out in the boonies' only to come back to Mexican highway 45.... where you would have been if you crossed at Ste. Teresa.

Santa Teresa is the preferred crossing all along that border....

I see that, thank you. It appears that 45D takes you a long way. Is it a toll road and what types of terrain does it cross en route to the destination? Looks like it traverses some rather desolate terrain.

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When one sees a "D" associated with a Mexican highway, that is a toll road (cuota).

Much of Mexico is 'desolate'.... sort of like NEW Mexico.  You would be in the Chihuahuan desert for the first 4-6 hours but you can bet that you will have a lot of company (traffic) on that road. There will not be a lot of towns until Chihuahua City but there will be plenty of Mexican gas stations (PEMEX) as that is a major corridor for trade, etc. It (the road) is mostly flat or rolling terrain all the way to Lakeside..... some pretty good hills in the last few hours before Guadalajara. But no mountainous roads.

 

 

 

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