State environment and water officials said private guards will be hired to provide security at the bridge.
The bridge was dismantled brick-by-brick in 2008 to make way for a planned 160-meter curtain dam designed to supply the metro area’s water for the next 30 years.However, the dam project was shelved in 2009 in favor of a much cheaper option – at a quarter of the estimated cost – further up the Verde River, which flows into the Santiago.
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) only agreed for the bridge to be dismantled if it could be reassembled and rebuilt further downstream.
It now crosses the Santiago some 600 meters from its original position.
Since being dismantled, significant renovations have been made to the footbridge. Many of its original materials have been replaced, including the wooden footboards, railings and a good part of the stonework.