Queen Creek will shore up the Sonoqui Wash crossings at Sossaman and Power roads, which washed out after during a storm in July.
The Town Council approved up to $219,950 to repair and improve the areas Wednesday night. The work is expected to be done before the end of April.
Most of the design uses gabions, large wire baskets that are filled with heavy rocks and welded shut, to shore up the sides of the wash and create cutoff walls for the water.
The baskets are flexible, so they won’t crack as easily as a concrete wall, Schaner said. But they also contain many rocks, so a heavy flow can’t wash them downstream like individual rocks.
Those gabions will be covered with a layer of dirt to provide a smooth surface in case a vehicle runs off the side of the road, Schaner said.
Some pieces of concrete cutoff walls and areas with riprap, or individual heavy rocks, are also being incorporated in the project.
The Maricopa County Flood Control District is footing half the bill for the project out of its emergency repair fund as long as the project is finished before May, Schaner said. The design firm that originally worked on the project is also picking up the bill for redesigning the crossing.
Councilman Jon Wootten spoke in favor of the proposal, given the time constraints and the offer to redesign the crossing for free.
“If we started from scratch, there are certainly better things we can do than what is being proposed,” Wootten said. “Given where we are, I think this is the best approach.”
