Experts warn Shelby Street footbridge replacement could disturb colonial-era backfill

City staff briefed the City of Santa Fe Archaeological Review Committee on July 10 that the stone Shelby Street footbridge, proposed for demolition and replacement, sits on riverbank backfill that may contain Spanish colonial and precontact materials and could require archaeological monitoring during demolition and replacement work.

The committee heard that the bridge is in poor structural condition and will be considered soon by the Historic District Review Board as part of a demolition request and design review for a replacement. Nicole (staff member) told the committee the current bridge “is just irreparable” and that engineers recommend demolition; she said one replacement option is a lightweight prefabricated span and an alternative would reuse existing stone where possible.

Committee members pressed staff for details because the fill behind the stone abutments was placed when the Santa Fe River Park was created and, as discussed in the meeting, “those deposits . . . would meet the 75-year criterion for some level of concern under the city ordinance.” Members noted the backfill had been used to level and terrace the bank and that earlier work recovered Spanish colonial and precontact artifacts. Nicole said the abutments and some filled areas would be removed as part of the proposed work and that “there is disturbance,” adding she would ask engineers for construction drawings and for more information about staging, temporary work areas and how contractors would access the site.

The committee asked several specific questions about likely ground disturbance, how wide the contractor footprint would be, whether pilings or footings would be required and how equipment staging would be handled. One member emphasized that contractors sometimes promise to confine work to a narrow footprint but neglect temporary staging areas and asked staff to seek details about overnight equipment parking and access. Nicole said she would obtain information about staging and the demolition process and return with more detail at the next meeting.

Several committee members urged that monitoring be required during demolition. Nicole agreed the removal of abutments “might already put the project in a space where it definitely needs monitoring during demolition.” Committee members and staff also discussed whether the bridge should be considered a contributing resource to the larger Santa Fe River Park Channel National Register property; staff said the bridge had previously been excluded from the National Register listing and that the Historic District Review Board will consider whether it is contributing under the city ordinance, which could affect what options remain.

Why it matters: committee members said the backfill behind the existing stone walls contains a broad range of materials deposited over many years, including Spanish colonial ceramics and earlier material, so demolition or deeper foundations could expose or remove historic or archaeologically significant deposits.

Next steps: staff will ask engineers for more detailed construction drawings, clarify whether pilings or deeper footings are planned, get staging and access plans from the contractor, and return to the committee with that information before the Historic District Review Board hearing. The design options will be presented to the Historic District Review Board, which will determine whether the bridge is a contributing historic resource under the city ordinance and decide on any preservation conditions.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article were present on the record at the July 10 meeting and identified to the committee.