Contract signed, work moving forward

News Release
ESPANOLA, NM – NMDOT continues to make progress on reopening the Oñate bridge by spring 2026, the contract has been executed, and materials are being ordered.

The contractor estimates that they will need two months to complete the project once they have all the materials in hand, weather permitting. The goal is to have everything completed and the bridge reopened by the end of April 2026.

Once the project begins, the contractor will begin preparing to divert the Rio Grande around the pier in need of stabilization and creating a safe workspace for repairs. After the area is reasonably dry, the contractor will install sandbags to even out the work area and then place class 5 Riprap in that area. The final step will be placing the “A-Jacks” and banding them together with stainless steel bands to keep them in place. “A-Jacks” resemble large concrete versions of the items from the game Jacks.

An emergency funding procurement procedure secured the $1.8 million dollars needed to stabilize the bridge pier and reopen the bridge to the public.

“The bridge was closed due to safety concerns, and we are currently investing $1.8 million in improvements to allow it to safely reopen. We recognize how important this bridge is to local businesses and the broader community, and reopening it is a priority we share,” said Ricky Serna, NMDOT Cabinet Secretary.

The City of Espanola has invited NMDOT to a Town Hall Meeting to provide an update on the Onate Bridge. The Town Hall will be held on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 5:30 pm at the Mission Convento Museum. Cabinet Secretary Ricky Serna from NMDOT and his team will be present, along with the project manager from the contractor AUI who will be performing the work.

Additional Business access signage was recently placed for businesses; the signs are on temporary posts but will be permanently placed once utility lines are located.

Background

The bridge was closed in June 2025, ahead of the anticipated monsoon season as engineers addressed ongoing concerns about riverbed erosion around one of the bridge’s piers that could pose a risk during periods of high river flow.

NMDOT began monitoring the structure in 2019 following an underwater inspection that identified erosion at a pier. A follow-up inspection in January 2025 found further deterioration, prompting additional hydraulic modeling that confirmed the need for action.

A joint assessment between NMDOT’s Bridge Bureau, Drainage Bureau and District Five collaborated with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) scouring experts and resulted in the decision to close the bridge prior to any significant rainfall events.