The Española City Council Sept. 19 continued discussions to rebuild the deteriorating Oñate Bridge and realign the Highway 84/285 and Paseo de Oñate intersection.
Engineer Ted Garcia, representing the city’s contracted engineering firm, Wilson and Company, of Albuquerque, presented the Council with a series of options for either renovating or rebuilding the Oñate Bridge.
Garcia said more work needs to be done, including acquiring an easement from the Santa Clara Pueblo.
“This is just a study,” Garcia said. “When they start engineering, they’ll really fine tune it.”
Councilor Robert Seeds took issue with the New Mexico Highway Department’s plan for the city to assume the responsibility of maintaining the bridge. The city would be required to cover expenses for routine maintenance work, such as sealing cracks in the pavement.
“Why is it that the Highway Department wants us to take over the responsibility?” Seeds said.
Phil Gallegos, representing the Department, reminded Seeds that the city and the Department entered into a road exchange agreement when the Department constructed the Santa Clara Bridge. Gallegos said the road exchange agreement stipulated that the Department would first build and maintain the Santa Clara Bridge. Then, at a later date, the Department would rebuild the Oñate Bridge and the city would maintain it.
Gallegos said the Department is willing to amend and update the road exchange agreement, incorporating new cost estimates for the Oñate Bridge project, as well as the cost of transferring an easement from the Santa Clara Pueblo.
Seeds did not let up about the city carrying the expense of maintaining the bridge.
“Who burdens the cost of the bridge down the road? The taxpayers of Española,” he said. Seeds then again asked why the Department intends for the city to cover bridge maintenance costs.
Gallegos reminded Seeds, as he did just a few moments before, that the city and Department had entered into the road exchange agreement.
Councilor Cecilia Lujan requested a copy of the Department’s expected costs to maintain the rebuilt or renovated Oñate Bridge over its intended 50-year life span.
Gallegos said he would confer with his engineer and would then send those cost figures to either Public Works Director Marvin Martinez or interim city manager Joe Duran.
Mayor Alice Lucero said in the event of a major catastrophe that leaves the redesigned bridge in need of major repairs, the city could apply to the Federal Highway Department for funding.
Four of the five options would directly affect parking and access to attorney Yvonne Quintana’s office as well as Rivera Family Funeral Home. The two options that include tearing down the old bridge and building the new bridge in the same spot would restrict access to Paseo de Oñate from both Calle Salazar and Calle Chavez.
The two options that call for keeping the old bridge in place and building the new bridge adjacent to it would eliminate the parking spaces directly in front of Quintana’s office.
“If they close down access to Main Street (Paseo de Oñate), it’s not only going to affect my business but all businesses,” Quintana said. “In terms of having a vital MainStreet, if you restrict access, you eliminate traffic for all the businesses.”
Rivera Family Funeral Home owner Matthew Rivera Sr. is in favor of the bridge reconstruction because he feels it will alleviate traffic safety issues for drivers making a left turn out of Calle Salazar.
“I like the idea of a new bridge because it would make it a straight (visual) shot down the bridge,” he said. Rivera added that the curvature of the current bridge along with the railing creates blind spots for drivers turning left at the Calle Salazar/Paseo de Oñate intersection.
Rivera suggested to the Department that Calle Salazar be converted into a right-in/right out only, which would eradicate the blind spot issue as drivers would not be able to turn left onto Paseo de Oñate.
The expected completion date of the $13 million bridge project is 2016-18.
Busy intersection
Garcia said Wilson and Company has worked with the Department on redesigning the irregular, five-way junction at the intersection of North Railroad Avenue, Highway 84/285 and Paseo de Oñate.
Plans call to realign the intersection, which would convert the intersection to a more traditional, four-way interchange. The redesign would also involve converting Bond Street into a right-in/right-out only, which would alleviate some of the traffic at the crowded intersection. The Department is also investigating whether or not Hill Street will continue to have full access.
Garcia said the Department, in its redesign plans, has taken into account pedestrian movement through the intersection.
“We want to make it as pedestrian-friendly as possible,” he said.
Councilor Pedro Valdez expressed support for the project and called on his fellow councilors to show some initiative.
“To be able to make things work, we have to take the first step,” Valdez said. “Right now, the DOT is ready to put in a new bridge. If you pass this up tonight, this will be the last presentation I’ll be making. This is the night that I would like to see us take that first step.”
Councilor Peggy Sue Martinez said she would like additional information before making a decision on which redesign option to support.
“I really feel like I need a wealth of information still,” she said. “We still don’t have the (road exchange) agreement before us.”
Valdez continued his line of support for the Council to begin the decision-making process.
“You never do things like (snaps his finger) that. It’s a first step,” Valdez said. “It’s not going to all happen at one time. We’ve just got to start at some place and we’ll get it done.”
The Council was scheduled to meet with Department representatives again Tuesday night during the Public Works Committee meeting. Santa Clara pueblo officials were invited to attend.