John Dunn Bridge to reopen in March
Rio Hondo Bridge replacement also nearing completion
Work is back in full swing at the historic John Dunn Bridge and neighboring Rio Hondo Bridge following the holidays, with the historic truss bridge across the Rio Grande now set to reopen before spring arrives.
The project has been a bit of a magnet for thieves, who made off with a generator and a large tool box in recent days. In August, a skid steer and its trailer were also stolen from the site.
Thieves considering a heist, however, might think twice after learning that site managers have installed multiple cameras in and around the site. Additionally, Sheriff Steve Miera said thieves who steal heavy equipment and tools are particularly susceptible to the long arm of the law.
When a stolen car chase ended in a Costilla yard in October, law enforcement found more than the stolen vehicle. Police also recovered the missing skid steer.
“When they stole Dan Barrone’s truck, when that pursuit terminated we located the skid steer,” Miera said. “And then when we went up to assist in the execution of a search warrant, we located the trailer in Colorado.”
“The contractor is showing completion by the beginning of March on their schedule,” said Jason Hutchins, project engineer for the Federal Highway Administration, explaining that the John Dunn project is mostly a “preservation” project, while the smaller, Rio Hondo Bridge is essentially being replaced.
New girders were set in place for the smaller bridge just before Christmas, representing a leap toward total project completion of the Rio Hondo Bridge.
“The other component is the little bridge that crosses the Rio Hondo,” Hutchins said. “And it was failing and it had a big hole in the bottom of the deck. Some of the girders were cracked and that’s why they decided to replace it. That bridge has been completely removed and is being reconstructed.”
Meanwhile, all lead-abatement work has been wrapped up on the larger bridge, which is now ready for a fresh coat of paint.
“The restoration of the John Dunn Bridge includes repairing some railing, repairing a structural component, as well as resurfacing all the trusses on the entire bridge,” Hutchins said. “And we’re also going to be redoing the bridge deck. So basically the material that’s on the John Dunn Bridge deck right now is going to be coming up; and then we’re going to be treating the timbers underneath so that they’re not taking on water.”
To prevent lead paint and other materials from entering the Rio Grande beneath it during the restoration, workers enclosed the painted steel bridge, which was constructed in New Mexico’s territorial era, within a cocoon-like “lead-abatement containment system” several months ago. Thanks to the the tent around the entire structure, crews are able to work through the winter in the bottom of the Rio Grande Gorge on tasks that are usually reserved for warmer months, such as grout work, paving and painting.
“We’re working on getting it painted, which you can imagine is a little challenging being middle of winter at the bottom of the gorge,” Hutchins said. It might sound frigid, but when crews begin painting the bridge next week, they’ll likely wear T-shirts, he added.
Inside and underneath the bridge floor, workers have placed heaters to create an environment suitable for grout, paint and other material that doesn’t work well in cold temperatures. There might be below-freezing temperatures outside, but inside the containment system, the air can be warmed to a toasty 75 degrees.
“The containment system is what’s allowing them to heat it and maintain the temperature and humidity level so we can get the coatings on,” Hutchins said. “Thank God we had the containment system, or we wouldn’t be able to finish it at this point. If we weren’t able to heat that bridge, there’s no way they could finish. But we were able to work through winter.”
The existing truss bridge was built by John Dunn in 1908 after the crossing’s previous bridge was destroyed in a fire. Dunn, a legendary Taos figure around the turn of the last century, had purchased the bridge in the early 1890s. Until he sold his bridge to either the state or territory of New Mexico in 1912 (New Mexico achieved statehood on Jan. 6, 1912) Dunn reputedly charged travelers a toll of $1 to cross the bridge. New Mexico made the crossing free.
“’Long’ John Dunn was the introduction to Taos for many visitors and new residents because he met the trains at Tres Piedras and took passengers bound for Taos first in his stage (and later in his car) to the town,” according to John Sherman’s 1990 book, “Taos a Pictorial History,” which notes that Dunn’s bridge earned him “a monopoly on the route from the train station to the town.”
One of “Taos’ most colorful characters in a town resplendent with them,” Dunn “ignored laws against gambling and considered prohibition a nuisance,” Sherman wrote.