ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Some drivers did a double-take when a new sign on a New Mexico interstate spelled Albuquerque without the “r.”
A photo of the sign shared on social media shows the city spelled “Albuqueque,” with the caption asking, “How long you think before they replace it? Or should we just go with it?”
The sign, posted on Route 66, has already been fixed, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Department of Transportation told KOB-TV. The spokesperson said that the department had received a number of calls about the problem and was able to fix it at no cost.
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When Albuquerque was founded in 1706, it actually contained two “r”s, and was formally named “La Villa de Alburquerque de San Francisco Xavier del Bosque,” The Albuquerque Journal reported. It is unclear when or why the first “r” was dropped, according to the newspaper.
Albuquerque’s current spelling was made famous in the 1987 movie “Roxanne,” which features a debate after a bartender asks customers to spell the name, The Los Angeles Times reported.