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After the tragic drowning of three small children in Tonto Creek over Thanksgiving weekend, and a 69-year-old man, whose car was overtaken on Saturday, Dec. 7, Gila County residents are, once again, starting to question whether they will ever see a bridge in Tonto Basin.
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GILA COUNTY – After the tragic drowning of three small children in Tonto Creek over Thanksgiving weekend, and a 69-year-old man, whose car was overtaken on Saturday, Dec. 7, Gila County residents are, once again, starting to question whether they will ever see a bridge in Tonto Basin.
For decades, requests have been made to build a bridge so that the Tonto Creek’s 1,600 residents could cross when flooding cuts off access. But a lack of funding has hindered progress.
The proposed bridge carries a $20 million dollar price tag, and while the county already has a design complete and has secured the needed property, the money has yet to be obtained. The bridge design would set it on the west side of the creek in Punkin Center.
Efforts have been made to lobby in Washington for said funding, and grants are continually put in for but progress has yet to be made.
Former District 2 Supervisor Mike Pastor told the Arizona Silver Belt that he fought to obtain funding on this project the entire eight years he was in office. “When I was in office there was a time when residents were isolated for 85 days,” said Pastor. “All of the plans are completed if the funds were available.”
According to State Representative David Cook, the state of Arizona might source the needed funding. Rep. Cook (R-8) announced on Friday, Dec. 6 that it is his intention to introduce legislation in the upcoming legislative session authorizing $20 million from the general fund for the Arizona Department of Transportation to construct a bridge in Tonto Basin.
“Like all Arizonans, I deeply mourn the tragic loss of life from recent floodwaters in the Tonto Basin,” said Rep. Cook. “Residents and travelers in the area need to have safe and reliable passage when dangerous flooding occurs.”
According to Cook, an appropriation bill has been drafted and Senator Sylvia Allen and Representative Bob Thorpe have already signed on.
Cook told the Arizona Silver Belt that they are dedicated to working for state funding for the Tonto Bridge that the federal government has fallen short on for way too many years. “This is now my number one priority,” said Cook. “I love Gila County! If the Feds aren’t going to fund it, I’m going to fight for it and let the state pay for it because it’s gone on long enough.”
