Interstate 10 Crossing the Continental Divide, New Mexico

According to the USGS, the Continental Divide crosses Interstate 10 27 miles west of Deming, and 33 miles east of Lordsburg, at a point near the base of the eastbound off-ramp of exit 55. The highway department, however, marks the Divide with a road sign two miles west. But it seems to matter less by this point. It’s pretty flat, either way. The Southern Pacific Railroad first came through here in the 1880s. The interstate followed the route 80 years later. It is one of the busiest mainlines for freight across the Divide, and across the nation, connecting Los Angeles to Texas, New Orleans, and Florida. The right of way is also used by pipelines and communications lines. The Continental Divide, meanwhile, meanders south, towards distant hills.