Scottsdale breaks ground on Thompson Peak Parkway bridge to improve safety and connections

Scottsdale marked the start of the Thompson Peak Parkway bridge project with a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday morning, Oct. 27. The project will add a second bridge over Reata Wash, improving safety for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians while strengthening connections to nearby neighborhoods, parks and schools.

The $14.2 million project will eliminate a bottleneck where four travel lanes narrow to two across the existing bridge. Once complete, Thompson Peak Parkway will provide four continuous travel lanes with bicycle lanes from Scottsdale Road to 100th Street. The new two-lane bridge also will include a sidewalk.

“This project will improve safety for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians along an important community corridor,” City Manager Greg Caton said. “It’s another example of Scottsdale moving forward on projects approved by voters and delivering the high level of transportation service our residents expect.”

Most of the project’s funding comes from the voter-approved 2019 bond program under Question 2, Community Spaces and Infrastructure. The remaining funding comes from the city’s 0.2% transportation sales tax.

Construction begins Monday, Nov. 2, and is expected to take approximately 12 months.

Initial work will include salvaging and relocating native plants, identifying and potentially relocating underground utilities, and drilling shafts for bridge supports. Much of this work will occur below the roadway in Reata Wash, and travel lanes will remain open during this phase. The contractor’s staging area and temporary plant nursery will be on-site.

“The second bridge will provide consistent travel lanes and dedicated space for people biking and walking across the wash,” said Alison Tymkiw, senior director of transportation and infrastructure. “Our initial construction activities will take place largely below the roadway, allowing us to begin this important work without affecting travel lanes.”

The project fulfills a long-standing plan for the crossing. When the master-planned residential community, DC Ranch was developed, an agreement between the city and the developer called for designing two bridges but building only one because traffic volumes did not yet warrant a second crossing. The agreement called for the city to construct the second bridge as the area developed.

Although the existing bridge has accommodated vehicle traffic, increased bicycle use along the corridor has heightened the need for a safer, more consistent crossing.

The groundbreaking also recognized the collaboration between Scottsdale and DC Ranch and the work of project teams from the city, Kimley Horn and Ames Construction.