NMDOT: San Pedro bridge expected to reopen by rush hour

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A piece of concrete broke off the arroyo running between I-40 and slammed into the San Pedro bridge during Tuesday’s fast-moving storms. 

Leaders quickly shut down the bridge and multiple lanes of I-40, and crews went back on Wednesday to survey potential damage.

The good news is the concrete that slammed into the bridge didn’t cause any major damage, but the bad news is the break in the arroyo turned into a large sinkhole.

NMDOT is now racing against mother nature to get it fixed before the next monsoon rain.

“It’s kind of a touch and go situation,” said Kimberly Gallegos, interim communications director for NMDOT. “We’re doing our best to kind of gauge these repairs and see what is needed.”

The San Pedro bridge passed inspection Wednesday. Crews also checked the tunnels under I-40 and deemed the interstate safe. They were also able to clear most of the debris in the channel.

“If there is weather that comes in we’re going to have to reassess and determine. We can’t allow our crews and our equipment to go down there (during a storm), just for safety reasons,” said Gallegos.

Gallegos believes the sinkhole repair is beyond what the DOT can do, so they’ll have to call in a contractor.

Two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane of I-40 will remain closed until further notice. 

City reps say there is no guarantee on when the San Pedro bridge will open to traffic again but is safe for drivers and should be open sometime Thursday.

For a live look at traffic, click here.