VALENCIA COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) is celebrating the completion of a new bridge in Valencia County. State and local leaders have cut the ribbon on the bridge along Highway 109 in Jarales, south of Belen. Crews also rebuilt nearly three-quarters of a mile over the railroad tracks, added new signs, and improved drainage and erosion control. NMDOT said this bridge is a long time coming, finally giving drivers a way to cross over railroad tracks that pass through town. ABQ BioPark’s pregnant elephant could give birth soon "Some of the trains would stop in this intersection, which would clog the intersection, wouldn't allow traffic to flow, so they would stop there for hours at a time just to refuel the trains, and when there were emergency situations on the other side, EMTs couldn't reach them," said NMDOT Project Manager Neto Rey Terraraz. The project cost more than $33 million; it took 15 months to complete the work.