Long awaited and long worked toward, the new Tonto Creek Bridge in Tonto Basin saw its grand opening Saturday morning. Under overcast skies, around 225 guests attended the celebration.

The new structure is a 1,982-foot-long, 40-foot-wide, 15-span modified girder bridge, which Gila County Public Works Director Homero Vela called a “safe passage” for Tonto Basin residents.

Gila County Supervisor Tim Humphrey, one of several speakers Saturday, had the honor of cutting the ribbon to officially open the bridge.

“We’ve been working on this bridge for 20 years,” said Humphrey, who held up a small piece of tile from a former restaurant property Gila County had bought to secure the western bridge landing. That tile, he said, remained on his desk over the years as a reminder to keep lobbying for the Tonto Creek Bridge. “These are things that can happen,” he said.

Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers, who also spoke Saturday morning, lauded the new structure as “a testament to both progress and remembrance” – remembrance for those who have died tragically while attempting to cross Tonto Creek’s floodwaters.

In September 2020, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Gila County a $21 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant for the bridge. To finalize that grant, the county entered an agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Arizona Department of Transportation. A BUILD team was formed consisting of staff from the county, ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration. At the county’s request, ADOT agreed to bid, administer and oversee the project to completion. ADOT also served as the grant recipient, with Gila County as sub-recipient.

The project was boosted by an additional $250,000 in BUILD funds, of which Gila County was notified by the Federal Highway Administration in September 2022.

“It’s been quite a journey, but the work has paid off,” ADOT Director Jennifer Toth said during Saturday’s grand opening.