GALLUP, N.M. – The New Mexico Department of Transportation received a call Sunday night about a hole in a bridge on I-40 just east of Gallup.

“Obey all traffic signs and drive safe out there. Keep your eyes open and, much like it was done last night, call it in if you see it,” said Phillip Steinbeck with NMDOT.

KOB 4 went to see what the bridge looked like and spoke with NMDOT officials about the fixes they made.

People driving from Gallup to Albuquerque Monday morning may have experienced some delays. That’s because Sunday night, Gallup officials were notified about a hole in the I-40 bridge traveling in the eastbound lane near milepost 25.

“Our bridge crew was out here a little bit earlier, maybe about 9, setting up all their equipment. They spent about 9 to 10 cutting out the bad concrete, and they spent 10 to 11 adding new concrete,” said Steinbeck.

We’re told the hole formed as part of the regular wear and tear on the bridge. NMDOT cut out a five-square-foot hole and had new concrete poured by noon.

The eastbound lanes are open again. Steinbeck considers this is an immediate solution, but there is more work to be done.

“We’re going to be moving down to the other side of the bridge where there are some other unsound deck patches that we will be working on the next couple of days,” said Steinbeck.

Steinbeck says short term they’ll be putting together a project with the state’s transportation improvement plan to fix up not just the deck but other defects along the bridge.