REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO CHANGE THE NUMERIC DESIGNATION OF UNITED STATES ROUTE 666 BEGINNING IN GALLUP, NEW MEXICO.

WHEREAS, United States route 666 begins in Gallup, New Mexico, at the old United States route 66 and runs north through Shiprock and into Colorado and terminates at United States route 191 in Utah; and

WHEREAS, United States route 666 runs through very sparsely populated areas of New Mexico and through more than one hundred miles of the Navajo Nation; and

WHEREAS, the long stretch of two-lane road has a history of being the site of many accidents and, although the rate of accidents has decreased due to road improvements, it is still a dangerous stretch of highway; and

WHEREAS, people living near the road already live under the cloud of opprobrium created by having a road that many believe is cursed running near their homes and through their homeland; and

WHEREAS, the number "666" carries the stigma of being the mark of the beast, the mark of the devil, which was described in the book of revelations in the Bible; and

WHEREAS, there are people who refuse to travel the road, not because of the issue of safety, but because of the fear that the devil controls events along United States route 666; and

WHEREAS, the economy in the area is greatly depressed when compared with many parts of the United States, and the infamy brought by the inopportune naming of the road will only make development in the area more difficult;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the United States department of transportation be requested to assign United States route 666 a new numeric designation as quickly as possible; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that changing the numeric designation of United States route 666 would provide an added degree of comfort for those using the road; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the United States secretary of transportation, the president of the Navajo Nation, the speaker of the Navajo Nation council, the secretary of highway and transportation and the engineer of district 6 of the state highway and transportation department.