Tonto Basin Bridge open after completion of 2-year, $21 million construction project
GILA COUNTY, Ariz. - Two years and $21 million in the making, cars are now crossing the brand-new Tonto Basin Bridge in Gila County.
For decades, flooding in the Tonto Creek would leave residents stranded, making for deadly crossings, including the loss of three children in 2019.
A brand new $21-million bridge is giving those who live there a safer way to cross flooded waters.
Bridge over Tonto Creek opens to delight of residents
The two-year project to build a bridge over a deadly crossing over Tonto Creek is now open. The project cost $21 million dollars and was designed to save lives and prevent major hassle for residents in the area. FOX 10's Kenzie Beach has the story.
Tire tracks mark the old way people had to cross the creek.
When it was flooded, people would be stranded on both sides, but that’s not the case anymore.
Two lanes on the new Tonto Basin Bridge are a stress reliever for people like Samuel Killian.
"It’s a blessing to have that bridge, literally," Killian said.
In the past, locals living on the east side of the river prepared to hunker down during monsoons.
Tonto Creek Bridge open for drivers in Gila County
The bridge over the Tonto Basin in Gila County is now open to the public. The area is prone to flooding during monsoon season, and in the winter when snow melts. Eight people have died in the past 30 years while trying to cross the creek during flooding. In November 2019, three children were swept away by raging water while riding in a truck trying to cross the flooded wash.
"When it rains in Payson, you can expect about 12 hours. Then you'll get flooding down here," he said. "We would go up to Payson, spend three or four hundred bucks on groceries because they didn't know how long the creek would be up."
In an emergency, many times there was no way to get across or access basic needs.
"Amazon would bring medication, you know, drones," he said.
New bridge and boulders are designed to prevent deadly crossings
Flooded or not, driving across that part of the creek isn't even an option anymore.
It's closed off by boulders, forcing people to use the brand new bridge.
This comes almost five years after three young kids died when the family tried crossing the creek in high waters. The funding for the bridge came from a federal grant.
"It finally took all these deaths to try to get them, you know, to get it done," Killian said. "I think the community pulled together."
Now that the bridge is in action, life should be a little bit easier for folks in Gila County and hopefully, a lot less deadly.