At 1:00pm on Tuesday, February 14, 2012, the New Mexico Department of Transportation has installed the historic marker on the north side of the bridge. Please pay it a visit if you get a chance. Photos to follow.
GREAT NEWS!
Thanks to the help of Robert Kurtz from the NM Department of Transportation Roswell office, Candy Spence Ezzell and Bob Wooley, State Representatives from our area, the historic marker project is a reality! The sign has been ordered and will be installed in time for Old Timers' Day. Please take a moment to send them a"Thank You!" for their dedication to Hagerman.
In 1926, the Rio Felix bridge was built to connect Roswell with Artesia
and beyond. At the time, US 285 was not built yet. The state and federal
government helped fund a project to prevent motorists from being
stranded in times of river flooding.
Most bridges are placed at a
right angle to the river they are crossing, however, NM 2 was built
along section lines and crossed the Rio Felix at an angle. The engineer
decided to place the footings at an angle to the road and skew the
platform of the bridge to help strengthen it against the water flow.
Now with the reconstruction of NM 2 and the existing bridge deck, it is time to recognize the landmark with a Scenic Historical Marker. An application has been submitted to the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. But, funding the marker may be the death of the project.
