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Albuquerque area
 | Central Avenue Underpass (#3116): |
The Central Avenue Underpass was constructed in 1937 in order to eliminate a railroad grade crossing on US 66, the main east-west route through Albuquerque. The underpass was designed by the State Highway department and constructed by F.D. Shufflebarger. The railroad grade was raised seven feed by the Santa Fe Railway in order to allow reasonable approach grades for the underpass. Steel beams and concrete piers and abutments were used to support the railroad deck which has a total length of about 68 feet. The underpass included four traffic lanes and a pedestrian walkway on each side, and represented a large municipal project for its day
The Central Avenue Underpass adjoins the site of the Alvarado Hotel which was known for its well-kept gardens and California Mission Style architecture. The underpass was remodeled during recent years and few details remain of its original 1930's construction.
Construction costs for this bridge were provided by the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935. New Deal programs provided a major infusion of capita land jobs in New Mexico during the Depression.
| Corrales Bridge across the Rio Grande (#5484): |
The Rio Grande Bridge at Corrales was completed in 1956 by Sharp and Fellows to replace an earlier steel truss bridge. * The bridge is constructed of pre-stressed concrete beams supported by steel piers with concrete caps. The bridge is composed of 19 spans of 50 feet each and has a total length of 950 feet.
The Rio Grande Bridge at Corrales was designed by the New Mexico State Highway Department and was the first pre-stressed concrete bridge constructed in the state. This bridge is located on NM 46 which now serves as a major connecting route between Albuquerque and the communities located west of the Rio Grande.
A new four lane span that carries commuters to the big Intel plant in Rio Rancho has superseded this bridge.
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Rio Puerco Bridge (#2530): |
Although the flow of the Rio Puerco west of Albuquerque is often negligible, the Puerco is known for its violent floods and embankment erosion. In view of this potential for failure, the State Highway Department selected a 250-foot Parker through truss for bridging the Rio Puerco at this location to eliminate the need for a center pier and to prevent washouts.
The 250-foot span over the Rio Puerco is one of the longest steel truss spans constructed in New Mexico. The bridge was fabricated by the Kansas City Structural Steel Company and was erected by FD Shufflebarger of Albuquerque in 1933. The Rio Puerco Bridge was a major highway structure on US 66 during the 1930s and 1940s. Repairs and remodeling of the bridge were completed in 1957. At the present time, it serves as a frontage road structure of I-40.*
*A new frontage road is by-passing this one lane bridge, but the contractors assured me that the structure would be preserved.
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