Gila County – Construction of the long-awaited bridge over Tonto Creek began on Tuesday afternoon, October 4, when a crowd including students from Tonto Basin Elementary School gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony at the Punkin Center.
The opportunity rewarded years of effort by Gila County leaders and Arizona legislators to obtain funding for the Tonto Creek Bridge, which has been in demand for decades. The project gained momentum in the wake of the tragic drowning of her three children and her 69-year-old man on December 7 when her parents tried to drive across a flooded stream over Thanksgiving weekend in 2019. increased. Again,” said US Representative Tom O’Halleran, one of the speakers at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Since 1995, eight people have died trying to cross the high waves. Not only that, but Tonto Creek divides the town of Tonto Basin, and floods often trap residents for days. The road across Tonto Creek is closed about 25 days a year due to flooding.
On January 8, 2020, Governor Doug Ducey requested federal funding for the bridge.A project that promises to save lives by providing safe crossings for drivers and pedestrians and to enable the Tonto Basin Fire District to reach sites on the other side of the creek during floodsare doing. That September, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $21 million Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant to build the Tonto Creek Bridge in Gila County.
To finalize this grant, Gila County entered into agreements with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Arizona Department of Transportation. His BUILD team was formed, consisting of county, ADOT, and Federal Highway Administration staff. “This is the first project with a tripartite partnership in Arizona,” says Federal High School student Carla Pettyroad Management, said Tuesday. At the county’s request, ADOT agreed to bid, manage and oversee the project through to completion. ADOT is also a recipient of the grant, with Gila County as a co-recipient.
“It took a great team to do this,” said Tim Humphrey, district 2 supervisor for Gila County, which represents the Tonto Basin.
Since I received my first grant, countsea bream An additional $250,000 was awarded for BUILD funding.They were duly notified of this by the Federal Supreme Courtroad The Administration on September 12, 2022, and the Supervisory Board approved approval for the new funding last Tuesday morning.Fore Groundbreaking.
the project isinclude Construction of a 1,982-foot, 15-span modified girder bridge and improvement of approximately 4,300 feet of road on each side.These improvements include bettingTell Tonto National Forest Reno Ad AccessServant The site is a staging area for fighting forest fires, and a reconstructed intersection of Route 188 and former Highway 188.
Bidding for the project opened on June 17, 2022. Ames Construction Inc. of Scottsdale submitted a low bid of $21.1 million. Ames has also worked on other projects, including a 26-mile segment of Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway in Phoenix and a new transportation interchange for Interstate 19 and Ajo Way in Tucson, including a wider bridge. .According to Gila County PubRick The Tonto Creek Bridge is expected to be completed by March 2024, according to construction supervisor Steve Saunders.
The total cost of the project is just under $24 million, with Gila County contributing $2.82 million. The county has set aside that amount, which comes from the county’s transportation excise tax fund and a portion of state gas tax revenues.
Project plans, specifications and estimates were provided by engineering firm Kimley-Horn.Environmental Monitoring Becomes a Professionalsaw By Arizona Game and Fish Division under agreementMento County and.
Gila County Board of Supervisors Chairman Woody Klein said: “Long time no see.”
Other speakers at the ceremony included Ben Stewart on behalf of Senator Kirsten Cinema, Penny Pugh on behalf of Rep. was included.Arizona State Senatorrebellious David Cook and Brenda Barton, who have championed the bridge for years in the state legislature, were also present at the event.
