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After months of frustrated waiting the NM DOT received the last 2 final reports that would declare the 90 Bridge safe or need the north half torn out and replaced. The reports declared both issues concerning pillar 4 as being "within tolerances" and declared safe. But neither report made a determination as to whether the long term stresses of these problems will shorten the life of the bridge.

Soon, if not already the dOT will declare the bridge "Non-Conforming" and the contractor, IHC, will be docked some portion of the $7 Million dollars construction cost that has not been paid to them yet.

The last report from Walla Engineering dealt with the steel wedges between the girders and the pillar being installed improperly in every way possible that resulted in the girders being out of alignment as shown with my red lines in the photo above. This resulted in the girders on the left being higher than ends of the girders on the right resulting in the thickness of the 8.5 inch concrete roadway being different. Note the steel wedges below the girders, the thick wedge on the left has raised that girder and should have been on the right.
Note: the photo above was probably taken by an inspector but work was not stopped nor corrections made.

The other report was concerning 2 of the 3 columns of pillar 4 being out of plumb (plumb being perfectly vertical). The 31 foot tall column in the center is the worst so it was studied, it was found to be off 5.28 inches in one direction and 3.72 inches off in the other direction. Again these were declared within tolerances.

Baring something I don't know about or new issues coming up this will bring to a close. for now, the nearly 3 year saga of the physical replacing of the 90 Bridge and what an education, what a ride its been as many of my articles and photos brought work to a halt or slowed it down as various government agencies descended of the site to straighten out various issues I reported on. This is not to mention, before the work began, my coverage of another 3 years of planning stage public meetings.

Bearing Report


Column Report

So a nonconforming bridge has been replaced by a nonconforming bridge.
This is New Mexico. No one will lose his/her job over it.
And the traveling public may or may not be safe.