The Rio Bravo bridge replacement project is on hold due to a lack of money.
The New Mexico Department of Transportation estimated replacing the old bridge with a new bridge would cost about $75 million. Thus far only $10 million is available.
Three years ago, the state’s Department of Transportation did some work on the Rio Bravo bridge eastbound. “Since then we’ve been periodically checking the bridge because, as you know, all of our bridges have a life cycle; and usually that’s anywhere between 50-75 years, some a little bit more,” Kimberly Gallegos of the NMDOT said, per KRQE.
Crews from the Department of Transportation continue to make small improvements on the aging bridge. The NMDOT is spending about $400,000 to make enough repairs so people can still use the bridge. “We’re actually repairing joints right now,” Gallegos said. “If motorists see the barrels up and see the workers out there, they are doing the work under the bridge.”
Despite the project’s being on hold, the NMDOT said a new bridge is needed to properly accommodate the thousands of cars coming through the developing area that now features a number of new retail outlets and subdivisions.
“The south valley is booming, as you’ve noticed, there’s a ton of businesses that have opened up in that area and actually new homes that have gone up in that area as well,” Gallegos said.
The NMDOT said it plans to request the money needed for the Rio Bravo bridge replacement during next year’s legislative session, which won't begin until January. Even if the additional $65 million is approved, the Rio Bravo bridge replacement project likely won’t be revisited until after Montgomery and Gibson get new interchanges on I-25, per KRQE.
The current work of small improvements on the bridge should be done in June.
