Thank you 4Morts, for allowing me to adopt your cache!
At the time of this writing, I've only been geocaching for about a year and a half. I learned about geocaching while on vacation in Flordia. Geocaching took me to so many amazing places and I found so many creative caches. I was hooked. Born and raised in Albuquerque and living within a mile of RT.66 my entire life, I've been fascinated with the old road since I was a child. In 2010, I traveled Rt.66 from Albuquerque to Santa Monica staying on the mother road as much as possible. The Rio Puerco Bridge was one of the first of many interesting stops on our adventure. I hope you enjoy the bridge as much as I do! - NickBeChillin
Heading west out of Albuquerque on Route 66, travelers can enjoy a scenic descent from Nine Mile Hill into the Rio Puerco Valley, where a Parker through truss bridge crosses the steeply eroded banks of the Rio Puerco River. The valley is the site of Laguna Pueblo, the home of Puebloans since the 1300s. Because the Rio Puerco is known for its violent flooding and severe erosion, the State Highway Department specifically chose a Parker through truss bridge design for the Rio Puerco Bridge to eliminate the need for a center pier and prevent washouts. The Federal Government funded the bridge in 1933 as part of President Roosevelt’s effort to use emergency monies for highway construction. Completed within a year, the bridge opened the Laguna Cutoff to transcontinental traffic. In 1937, the alignment officially became U.S. Route 66.The Kansas City Structural Steel Company conceived the structure, and F.D. Shufflebarger was in charge of constructing the bridge. The Rio Puerco Bridge has a 250 foot long span and is one of the longest single span steel truss bridges built in New Mexico. The bridge consists of 10 panels measuring 25 feet in length, each with its top cord at a different angle, as is characteristic of Parker truss design bridges. The 25-foot wide deck is concrete with an asphalt surface and rests on steel stringers. This design was selected partially because it was commonly used during the late-1920s and 30s, but also because it was particularly suitable for this bridge, which needed to withstand a river capable of massive flooding that had washed away previous bridges along the Rio Puerco. In 1957, the truss was remodeled, and the lower portal struts were removed and replaced by lighter struts that were inserted above to create a higher clearance. Metal guardrails were added to protect the truss members. This bridge served motorists on Route 66 for many years, and when I-40 was completed, the Rio Puerco Bridge became part of a frontage road across the Rio Puerco. The structure was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. In 1999, the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department replaced it but preserved the historic bridge. Though currently closed to car traffic, the old bridge is open for people to walk across, allowing visitors a glimpse of the old Highway 66 slowly curving and dipping as it disappears into the vast New Mexico desert.The Rio Puerco Bridge is located off of and parallel to Interstate 40 at exit 140 west of Albuquerque, NM. A post-1937 alignment of Route 66, now used as a frontage road, is east of the bridge and reconnects with the interstate at exit 149. Visitors can walk across the bridge. - Copied from nps.gov
The following is 4Morts original description from 2003.
"Micro Cache hidden on the Rio Puerco Bridge in New Mexico. This bridge is along side Route 66 but can be accessed from I-40 both east and west bound. The off ramp from I-40 is west of the bridge. The overpass can be seen in the background of the image above. There is a gas station with food and drinks at this off ramp also, so this can be a good reason to exit the highway to refuel and hit a cache. The micro cache is magnetic. But the entire bridge is made of metal so it can be stuck just about anywhere. This cache was hidden on our roadtrip from our home in Los Angeles, CA to visit some family members in Wisconsin. HINT IS A 110% SPOILER. ONLY READ HINT IF YOU CAN'T FIND THE CACHE."