LOS LUNAS, N.M. (KRQE) – A overnight sinkhole in Los Lunas caused a bridge closure on Main Street and left two people stuck after they fell into it.
Around 10 p.m. Saturday night, crews came out to the scene to assess the area. They decided to close the bridge, which remained closed all night and into Sunday. While the bridge is now open, officials add it will be a while until things return to normal.
According to Valencia County Fire officials, on Saturday evening two people were walking on the Main Street Bridge sidewalk when the ground collapsed underneath their feet. Bystanders and the Valencia County Fire Department were able to rescue the two individuals who are said to be okay.
The New Mexico Department of Transportation stated water levels are high, and the culverts are being affected by that.
“There’s culverts nearby that undermined the roadway, and for that reason, it caused some areas to erode, and that’s when we started to realize that we had to get traffic off of this roadway,” said New Mexico Department of Transportation District 3 Spokesperson, Kimberly Gallegos.
NMDOT said crews Sunday were digging underneath the bridge to make sure nothing eroded past the center line of the roadway. Crews are working with the state to see how long construction and other repairs will take.
A water line also had to be shut off due to the incident Saturday causing some who live in the area to experience little to no water.
Los Lunas Schools will be on remote learning on Monday. The remote learning day will begin two hours later than the usual start time. To learn more about this, visit this link.
NMDOT said their main goal is to keep the area safe for drivers and pedestrians. To see a map of New Mexico’s roads and closures, click here.
