A severe storm Thursday night into Friday morning washed out a new bridge on Old Route 66 between San Jon and Endee, New Mexico, prompting the closure of the road indefinitely.
That’s part of the 17-mile gravel-road alignment of Route 66 between the border ghost town of Glenrio and San Jon.
An estimated seven inches of rain fell in a short period that night. Here’s a short video Friday from Quay County’s manager of water gushing around the destroyed bridge:
The bridge’s contractor is expected to file an insurance claim to repair the bridge, though the timetable of that remains uncertain.
The flash flooding damaged a nearby 1931 bridge that was destined to be bypassed within days but left standing for tourists. Because of the uncertainty over the bridge’s condition, county officials decided to close it.
Flash flooding also damaged other parts of Old Route 66 in the area and other county roads.
The same storm also produced golfball-size hail in nearby Tucumcari, New Mexico, damaging the neon tubing of several vintage signs along the Route 66 corridor there.
The Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari posted several photos of the hail and the neon damage:
“This will take time to have the neon created, with the understanding our top priority is to have her back in all its neon glory!” the owners of the motel wrote.
(Image of a “Road Closed” sign by huskyboy via Flickr)
Sorry to see this.
Am I understanding this right? The brand new bridge is swept away and destroyed, while the 92 year old original it was supposed to replace…the one closed because it might be unsafe…that bridge is still there in the background?
Yes.
I drove out to see this on June 24. Unbelievable how the bran new bridge is completley destroyed while the 1931 bridge, which is slightly upstream, has only minor damage. That damage is a small section of pavement that collapsed apparently from being washed out underneath. Not enough room to drive around it but seeing that, I wouldn’t try driving on any part of it now.