Bridges in New Mexico share some of the characteristics of the landforms they cross. Both may at first seem modest and unremarkable to all but avid bridge aficionados. But both reveal telltale evidence of the formidable topography of this part of the Southwest. 

The first hint of the scope and range of this area is evident in the I-40 service station/travel shops at the eastern edge of the state. They display gas cans, water bottles, tire patch kits and a broad selection of distractions for children and adults: games, puzzles, easy reading, easy listening. The long traverse across the state covers a vast inland sea, (now grassland), a massive block fault rising 5,000 feet, broad valleys of the Rio Grande and Rio Puerco, interrupted by the broken terrain of volcanic debris and the capricious meanders of seasonal streams.

"The banks of the channel are continually sloughing and cloudbursts cause torrents which scour the beds to unbelievable depths. The height of the banks causes backfills and wings of such a nature that ordinary construction will not survive without prohibitive maintenance" W.J. Fulton, State Engineer 1923 (New Mexico Highway Journal, November 1923)

Keep these words in mind as you peruse the selection of bridges listed below.