TIJERAS, N.M. (KRQE) – It has been closed for nearly five years: On Wednesday, a popular hiking spot in the East Mountains had a ribbon-cutting ceremony. It marked the reopening of the area.

Carlito Springs Open Space, located north of Interstate 40 off Carlito Springs Road near Tijeras, is finally back open.

This popular spot closed to the public in 2018 to start different projects. Which included improving the road leading to the spring, a potable water system, and renovating the main house and a caretaker unit. The supply chain issues during the pandemic caused delays.

“We have these windows that have to be historically rehabilitated, and there’s two companies in the entire country these all have to be sent to them, and they redo them and sent them back,” said John Barney, planning manager.

Bernalillo County said these renovations were paid for by different grants and bonds. The total project cost was $3.6 million.


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Carlito Springs Open Space has also just been put on the National Register of Historic Places.