CHIMAYO, N.M. (AP) - The New Mexico Department of Transportation is asking law enforcement agencies to stop all concession and roadside stands along the annual Good Friday pilgrimage route to the El Santuario de Chimayo.
The state agency said Tuesday to move to close concession stands is a safety measure aimed at protecting crowed walking areas.
Beginning Thursday through Good Friday, crews will work around the clock to provide the various accommodations for pilgrims.
Some pilgrims will make the 90-mile, three-day walk from Albuquerque to the shrine that houses “el pocito,” a small pit of holy adobe-colored soil that some believe possesses curing powers.
Chimayo is a National Historic Landmark, and some 200,000 people are estimated to visit each year, with the bulk occurring during Holy Week.
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