Otowi Suspension Bridge, Suspension bridge in Santa Fe County, New Mexico
The Otowi Suspension Bridge crosses the Rio Grande with a single-lane wooden structure built for automobile traffic. The cable design supports the deck above the riverbed below, allowing passage year-round across this important waterway.
Built in 1924, this bridge opened easier access to Bandelier National Monument for visitors and residents. During the 1940s, it became part of the transportation network that supported the Manhattan Project operations in the area.
The San Ildefonso Pueblo people named this crossing Poh-sah-con-gay after the sound of water rushing past the rocks. When you walk across, you can still hear why they chose this name for the place.
The suspension design protects the bridge from damage caused by seasonal floods that would harm fixed supports in the riverbed. This approach keeps the structure safe during high water periods throughout the year.
It remains the only suspension bridge still standing in New Mexico that connects directly to a public road. The Kansas City Structural Steel Company manufactured it, showing engineering techniques from the 1920s.
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