Work to begin on Queen Creek Wash bridge

Construction is expected to start this month on a bridge over the Queen Creek Wash that has been closed for more than four years.

Schnepf Road Bridge, between Ocotillo and Combs roads in Pinal County, was shut down after heavy runoff from a February 2005 storm caused heavy erosion and exposed the bridge's supports, weakening the structure.

That stretch of road had functioned as a key north-south route in Pinal County. Now, after avoiding the stretch for four years, motorists just have to wait until December until the bridge is ready.

The new design will be larger and sturdier than the old bridge, which carried 6,000 vehicles a day, said county spokeswoman Heather Murphy.

"Bigger, better, wider, safer. That's what we were going for," Murphy said.

The 230-foot bridge will have two-wide traffic lanes plus a center turn lane, making it easier for traffic to flow when a motorist is turning left off the end of the bridge, Murphy said.

The structure will be a series of six box culverts, which basically look like square concrete tunnels large enough for someone to walk through built side by side.

That design will give the bridge a foundation for the entire length instead of individual support posts, Murphy said.

The old bridge, which was built in 1967, had several 30-foot cylindrical piers buried 20 feet into the ground for a base. The 2005 storm washed away 10 feet of the creek bed, exposing a greater portion of the piers.

The construction is good news for Bill Grubb, Rural/Metro Fire Department's deputy chief for Pinal County.

"It's always a challenge when you have a key roadway like that, that's been out for a couple of years," Grubb said. "It's certainly going to cut response times in the area."

The fire department has become accustomed to avoiding the bridge area when it goes to emergencies, but trucks can have issues on some of the unpaved roads in the area when the weather's bad, he said.

Once the bridge is back in service, a new fire station opening at Ocotillo and Meridian roads will be four miles away from homes on the south side of the bridge instead of six, Grubb said.

That will not only cut down on response times, but could reduce homeowners' insurance rates because it puts them within five miles of a fire station, Grubb said.

"It can't come soon enough for us," Grubb said. "We've been watching and waiting and watching and waiting ever since the floods."

Part of the construction delay was waiting to secure funding for the project through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, since the bridge's closure was a result of storm damage.

FEMA approved the funding request in May 2008 and will cover 75 percent of the bridge's expected $2.2 million cost. Remaining costs will be covered by the county and state.

Pinal County has been finalizing the bridge's design and putting out bids for the work since that time.