Officials Reopen Cedar Hill Bridge to Foot Traffic
110-Year-Old-Bridge continues service as historical jewel; adding to recreation opportunities

Aztec, NM—San Juan County officials rededicated the old Cedar Hill Bridge for pedestrian use on Tuesday. The bridge has undergone a historic restoration and reopened 110 years after it was first installed.

The Cedar Hill bridge was installed in 1914 to serve an area known as Cox Crossing. It was a replacement for a bridge washed out in the flood of 1911. The Cedar Hill bridge was purchased for $1,465.00 and installed by residents of the area. This was the main crossing of the Animas River on County Road 2380 for vehicles until the US550 bridge was installed, and later unsafe conditions led to its closure to vehicle traffic by the County Commission in 1989. The bridge remained open to pedestrian and equestrian traffic until 2017 and the bridge was completely closed because of the deterioration of bridge decking.

In January of 2023, bids were solicited for a firm to restore the bridge to handle pedestrian traffic. The bid was awarded to TRC Construction for $611,000.00. Work was completed in April of 2024. County staff is exploring the possibility that the bridge qualifies to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a good example of a “pin-connected truss bridge” in excellent condition. Eventually, the bridge will be a part of a 2 mile walking loop in the Cedar Hill area.