Aztec Area

The Animas River Bridge at Aztec replaced an earlier cable and timber suspension bridge built for San Juan County across the Animas River in 1903 by J.S. Thurston and Sons of Aztec. The new bridge was constructed as a Federal-Aid Project in 1929 by the Pueblo Bridge and Construction Company. It includes a 200-foot through truss span and two 75-foot pony truss approach spans. A Parker truss design with its characteristic polygonal top chord was used for the main span while a Warren truss design was used for the approach spans.

This bridge was the principal highway crossing at Aztec and was a major highway structure in the state upon its completion. It now serves as a one-lane bridge on the business route through Aztec. The Animas River Bridge is noteworthy in that it includes both a through truss and two pony trusses in its design.