Skip to main content

Rio Puerco Bridge


Driving west of Albuquerque on Interstate 40, an old truss bridge sits just off the highway at Exit 140.  This old Parker Truss Bridge hasn't been in use since 1999, but it was a critical piece that allowed US 66 to make a more direct route through New Mexico.


The Rio Puerco Bridge - built in 1933 - allowed Route 66 to be routed along the "Laguna Cutoff" four years later.  This new direct east-west routing of the highway from Santa Rosa through Albuquerque and Mesita.  This direct route was 107 miles shorter than the S-curved shaped route that took US 66 from Santa Rosa to near Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Bernalillo, Albuquerque south to Los Lunas, and then north and west over today's NM Route 6 towards Mesita.


The Rio Puerco Bridge was a federally funded project that began construction in 1933.  Opened one year later, the bridge is Parker through truss that is 250' long.  When US 66 was twinned in the 1950s, the bridge was rehabilitated to handle more modern traffic loads.  Interstate 40 would eventually be built to the bridge's immediate south, and the Rio Puerco Bridge would serve as part of a frontage road.  In 1999, the bridge was taken out of service when a new bridge to its immediate north was completed.  The bridge has since been preserved as a historic site by the New Mexico Department of Transportation.


Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, the Rio Puerco Bridge is open for tourists and pedestrians to cross and explore.  

All photos taken by post author - April 19, 2010.


Site Navigation:


How To Get There:

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bridgeport Covered Bridge

The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is a historic crossing of the South Fork Yuba River located in Nevada County, California near Nevada City.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge opened as a tolled crossing during 1862 as part of the larger Henness Pass Road.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge closed to vehicle traffic during 1972 and was recently restored during 2021.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is historically California's longest covered span is thought to likely be the longest such structure surviving in the world.  Featured as the blog cover is the Bridgeport Covered Bridge during 1950 when it was an active part of Pleasant Valley Road.   The history of the Bridgeport Covered Bridge The history of Bridgeport Covered Bridge was featured in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works .  Bridgeport Covered Bridge was constructed during 1862 over the South Fork Yuba River.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge served as part of the Virginia Turnpike Company maintained Henness Pass Roa

Former California State Route 215

  California State Route 215 was a short-lived state highway which existed in the Los Angeles Metropolitain area after the 1964 State Highway Renumbering.  California State Route 215 was aligned from US Route 60 at 5th Street in Pomona north to US Route 66 near Claremont via Garey Avenue.  California State Route 215 came to be after California State Route 71 was bisected in Pomona due to relinquishment of a portion of Garey Avenue due to the opening of a portion of the Corona Freeway (now Chino Valley Freeway) during 1958.  California State Route 215 was deleted by the Legislature during 1965. The history of California State Route 215 The initial segment of what was to become California State Route 215 was added to the State Highway System as part of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act.  The First State Highway Bond Act defined what would become  Legislative Route Number 19  (LRN 19) as running from Claremont to Riverside.  The segment of LRN 19 between Claremont and Pomona would in

US Route 70 over San Augustin Pass

San Augustin Pass is a gap in the Organ Mountains, San Augustin Mountains and San Andres in Dona Ana County east of Las Cruces.  San Augustin Pass lies an elevation of approximately 5,600 feet above sea level and was originally traversed by New Mexico State Route 3.  US Route 70 would be realigned over San Augustin Pass during 1934 when it was extended to Los Angeles, California.  During 1963 US Route 82 would be extended through San Augustin Pass to Las Cruces.  Since the early the early 1990s signage of US Route 82 has been withdrawn to Alamogordo.  San Augustin Pass and US Route 70 are largely known for the numerous closures due to test firings originating from the White Sands Missile Range.   Part 1; the history of highway designations over San Augustin Pass San Augustin Pass traditionally has been the easiest from the Rio Grande in Las Cruces east to the Tularosa Basin.  The terrain conditions at San Augustin Pass allowed for an easy crossing in the gap between the Organ Mountains