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Middle of Nowhere
Many early bridges were built to provide access to remote mining claims around the State. All of the small rail lines and most of the roads are gone. But the roadbeds and occasionally the bridges crop up into view for the observant traveler.
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Pecos River Bridge (#239): |
I know this is the middle of nowhere because I lived near here, and my relatives stated it as fact. (See
Bridge Story for more details)The Pecos River Bridge at Terrero is a timber through truss originally constructed in 1921 as a Forest Service project. This bridge is one of four timber truss bridges constructed by the Forest Service over the Pecos River above the Village of Pecos. In 1944, the bridge was renovated by Skousen Brothers Construction Company and salvaged railroad rails were installed to replace the bottom chord of the truss. This innovation was featured in the April, 1945 issue of Roads and Streets Magazine.
This bridge is a Howe through truss with five panels of 15feet each and with steel rods used for the vertical members. The total length of the span is 75 feet and the roadway is 15 feet wide. The setting of the bridge is in a high mountain canyon adjacent to the old mining district of Terrero.
This bridge has been by-passed by the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department and it is now used by hikers and horseback riders for crossing the river. The Pecos River Bridge at Terrero is the last timber through truss known to exist in New Mexico.
| The Catwalk, Whitewater Canyon (SR 174 near Glenwood): |
This structure is either an inspired piece of engineering or a wishful
suspension of disbelief. Gold and
silver deposits drew miners up this rugged
narrow canyon. In 1893 the Helen Mining Company built a mill about four miles
downstream. Water for uninterrupted power generation flowed first through a
4" and later an 18" pipeline to the source.
'Construction of the water lines was an engineering feat that
probably would not be attempted today. Brace holes were drilled into the solid
rock walls - sometimes 20 feet above the canyon floor - to hold timbers and iron
bars that supported the small water line along its meandering course. Some of
the original 18" pipes support one side of the present Catwalk. Old 
records
show that the large iron water line was in constant need of maintenance. Workmen
who had to walk the line to repair damage dubbed it the "Catwalk." '
From a brochure prepared by the Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture, Southwest Region
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