Rio Puerco Bridge

Rio Puerco Bridge is a truss bridge that spans the river with ten steel panels and features a concrete deck topped with asphalt. The structure connects the two banks with a rigid framework that is clearly visible from above.

The structure was built in 1933 by Kansas City Structural Steel Company as part of a federal program for road development. It was originally intended for Route 66, a major travel route that connected communities across the country.

The bridge shows early engineering methods and stands as a reminder of the role such structures played for people traveling through the state. Visitors can still see the design that was considered modern engineering at the time.

The site is located about 30 kilometers west of Albuquerque and is easy to reach. Pedestrians can cross the bridge, while car traffic uses the parallel road next to Interstate 40.

The structure has no center supports, a design choice that engineers made deliberately. This construction was intended to prevent the seasonal floods that had destroyed previous bridges at this crossing from damaging this one.