New Mexico receives $72 million to replace Nogal Canyon Bridges

The New Mexico Congressional delegation announced significant funding toward the replacement of the Nogal Canyon Bridge along a section of Interstate 25 in Socorro County.

U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) announced over $71 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to replace the Nogal Canyon Bridge. The funding is part of $5 billion in federal grants announced Wednesday by President Joe Biden's administration, the latest beneficiaries of a massive infrastructure law. The Bridge Investment Program invests $40 billion over five years.

The Nogal Canyon Bridge was one of 13 bridges across the country to receive large bridge funding from the Bridge Investment Program, part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The New Mexico Department of Transportation’s applied for the award of $72 million.

“I worked hard to pass the Infrastructure Law so we could deliver transformative investments to New Mexico and rebuild the roads and bridges working families rely on everyday,” Heinrich said in a news release announcing the grant. “This $71 million federal investment will modernize and replace the Nogal Canyon Bridge, making travel safer — while creating long-term economic growth in our communities."

The existing two truss bridge is more than 50 years old, according to the release.

“Bringing back good-paying jobs and long-term investments to my district is something I am always proud of, and this $71 million in federal funding to replace the Nogal Canyon Bridge in Socorro County will do just that,” Vasquez said in the release. “This critical investment in the future of I-25 will make travel safer for all, bolster economic opportunities and lay the groundwork for continued growth and prosperity.”