Funding will reconstruct dangerous Superman Canyon Bridge, plan repairs for others

GALLUP – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday announced a $4.3 million state infrastructure investment for McKinley County bridge improvements, making critical repairs to improve public safety and local quality of life.

The New Mexico Department of Transportation funding will be applied to eleven bridge projects throughout the county, funding the reconstruction of the Superman Canyon Bridge and the design process for improvements to ten other bridges in Breadsprings, Gallup, Manuelito, Mexican Springs, Pinedale, Prewitt, Red Rock, Rock Springs, and Whitecliffs. The completion of the improvement designs will make the bridges eligible for U.S. Department of Transportation INFRA grants for the completion of additional repairs.

“Reconstructing a bridge that currently can’t carry school buses, emergency vehicles, or trucks will mean shorter trips to school for McKinley County students and a safer community, and better economic potential for area businesses,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “The residents of McKinley County deserve better, and the people of New Mexico deserve better – that’s why we’re putting hundreds of millions of dollars into transformational infrastructure investments all across the state, improving public safety and making a difference in communities large and small.”

The existing Superman Canyon Bridge was originally a portable bridge used by the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam, one of 46 such bridges in McKinley County. Despite the clear need, in almost 50 years, no other state administration has invested the funding to reconstruct the Superman Canyon Bridge.

“We are very grateful to Gov. Lujan Grisham for making continued investments in McKinley County and addressing issues with our bridges and infrastructure,” said McKinley County Commissioner Billy Moore. “We are thankful for the governor’s continued support of our area and the state’s ongoing work.”

Nearly 5% of New Mexico’s bridges are considered to be in “poor” condition by the U.S. Department of Transportation, underscoring the importance of the hundreds of millions of dollars that the state has invested in New Mexico bridges during the Lujan Grisham administration.