River Crossing

Before a bridge spanned the Rio Grande south of Albuquerque, people swam, forded, or floated across at a shallow stretch known as the Armijo crossing or the Atrisco Forde. El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro passed through Atrisco, Pajarito, and Armijo along present-day Isleta Blvd. before crossing the river, and early travelers on this route helped support a thriving wool and weaving trade in the South Valley. Albuquerque's first bridge, built in 1876, was washed away in the flood of 1891, and the Barelas Bridge, built in 1910, was flooded in 1912 and then rebuilt. During that period, a ferry carried people, freight, wagons, and other goods across the river, but it was soon docked, leaving people to find other ways across until a temporary foot bridge was constructed while repairs were made. In 1928, Federal Aid money paid for a two-lane, 20-ft bridge roadway with 6-ft sidewalks for pedestrian traffic. U.S. 85, Isleta Blvd., was also paved in the late 1920's, and increased traffic, especially from historic Route 66 crossing the Barelas Bridge and passing through the Isleta corridor from 1926 to 1937, supported filling stations, car mechanics, and other traveler-serving businesses but was more than the wooden bridge could handle. By the 1940's, rush hour traffic bottlenecked over the bridge as many South Valley residents worked east of the river. Construction began in 1953 on a new bridge, which required about 800 tons of steel and was delayed by steel shortages. People still cross the river at the same place to visit relatives in Barelas, conduct business in Albuquerque, and travel farther afield before returning home.

South Valley, New Mexico · United States