15-05-2025
Safety concerns raised after sizeable hole seen on I-40 bridge near Santa Rosa
GUADALUPE COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – A hole in the middle of a New Mexico interstate bridge has raised panic for some drivers and people near Santa Rosa, but the state says, while it might look bad, it's nothing big to worry about. New Mexico Department of Transportation crews learned about the bridge hole on Wednesday morning, after drivers called it in.
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One driver said they've seen this problem developing for weeks, with concrete falling on the road below. 'We had to address the issues because they hadn't worked on it for over three weeks, and enough was enough. It was a big ole hole. Someone was liable to get hurt,' shared Janie Yearley of Santa Rosa.
The hole is on the I-40 west bridge in an area that is just west of Santa Rosa. Viewer video showed that you could see the hole through the bridge on Wednesday morning. On Wednesday afternoon, crews covered the open area of the bridge deck with old road signs. NMDOT said crews are now working on repairs that should take a few days, with lane closures in the meantime. Although the hole is sizeable, NMDOT says the overall bridge is in 'satisfactory condition' and that drivers shouldn't worry about it. 'The hole on the bridge, it's anywhere from an eight to a ten-inch hole. It's localized, so it's in a small area. You know, it's not the entire bridge structure that's crumbling here. But basically, it's just deterioration of the concrete spalling. It blew through the bridge deck,' said Travis Martinez, NMDOT Public Information Officer.
NMDOT said maintenance crews expect to replace the blown-out concrete over the next four days. For now, crews have put a cone over the hole on the top of the bridge.
While underneath it, they're using old signs to help reinforce repairs to the area. While the repairs take place, NMDOT said traffic on westbound I-40 will be down to one lane across that bridge just west of Santa Rosa.
NMDOT said it considers this bridge hole uncommon, but something that can happen from time to time. If you spot a problem, they ask you to report it to the local district office.
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