Bridge across Agua Fria River provides valuable connection to north Peoria area

Endia Fontanez, Arizona Republic
·3 min read

A long-awaited bridge across the Agua Fria River opened Saturday and is making it easier for drivers to get around the north Peoria area.

The bridge connects Deer Valley Road and 109th Avenue in Peoria to Williams Drive and 117th Avenue in unincorporated Maricopa County, near the Cross River and Dos Rios neighborhoods.

The bridge is 711 feet long and includes bike lanes and walkways on either side.

Prior to the bridge's opening, area drivers had limited east-west options. They had to head north to catch Happy Valley Road or drive south to hop on Bell Road in Surprise.

"I've heard from the community how badly they needed this bridge over the last eight years," said District 4 County Supervisor Clint Hickman "The day has arrived, and we welcome you to enjoy cycling, skating, walking and driving across this bridge for years to come."

The bridge is part of a larger project, which:

  • widened Williams Drive from El Mirage Road to 117th Avenue.

  • Added another bridge over Tessmer Road.

  • Added a HAWK crosswalk at 119th Avenue, which has flashing lights when a pedestrian is crossing.

  • Added roundabouts at either end of the bridge crossing the Agua Fria.

The entire county project cost $49 million and was largely paid for with state-shared revenues that come from gas taxes and other vehicle-related taxes and fees.

Peoria kicked in funding for the 109th Avenue roundabout and a new reclaimed water line.

Getting better: Arizona traffic fatalities are down in 2022, data shows. Here's why

City Manager Jeff Tyne said projects like this are critical to building a complete city and are "vital to the city’s goals for economic development and its quality of life.”

Surprise Mayor Skip Hall said the project would benefits his city and neighboring Sun City West by easing congestion on Bell Road.

"Any relief on Bell Road is a positive," Hall said.

The bridge was planned as early as 2011, but didn't get underway until last summer. It actually opened more than a month ahead of the initial proposed schedule, according to Erika Flores, a Maricopa County Department of Transportation spokesperson.

The new bridge across the Agua Fria river connects 117th Avenue and Deer Valley Road, allowing Northwest Valley residents a new option to travel east to west.
The new bridge across the Agua Fria river connects 117th Avenue and Deer Valley Road, allowing Northwest Valley residents a new option to travel east to west.

New option will reduce response times in some cases by 10 minutes

One of the biggest benefits of the bridge will be increased safety for residents in surrounding neighborhoods. By redirecting some of the congestion on Bell and Happy Valley roads, residents are hoping for fewer traffic accidents and quicker response time from first responders.

Christopher DeChant, an assistant chief with Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, which serves the unincorporated area, expects the bridge to shorten response time to the Cross River and Dos Rios communities by up to 10 minutes.

Gail Johnson, president of Trilogy bicycle club in north Peoria, said the new bridge is a "huge boon to our community."

Because of the amount of commuter traffic on Happy Valley and Bell, Johnson said it isn't always safe to ride bikes on those roads, but she and the rest of the Trilogy bicycle club are excited to ride their bikes across the Deer Valley bridge.

"We already have a ride planned for tomorrow," Johnson said at the ribbon-cutting event on Saturday morning.

Members of Trilogy bicycle club pose for a photo at the grand opening of the new bridge in far north Peoria. President Gail Johnson, pictured 6th from the left, said the club is excited to have a new road to ride their bicycles.
Members of Trilogy bicycle club pose for a photo at the grand opening of the new bridge in far north Peoria. President Gail Johnson, pictured 6th from the left, said the club is excited to have a new road to ride their bicycles.

Residents benefit from connection

Gary Rhinehart, a Cross River resident, attended Saturday's opening event with his 10-year-old daughter, Emma.

He said he looks forward to the bridge creating easier access to Zuni Hills Elementary, the school Emma attends.

Before Saturday, many parents and teachers had to travel up to seven miles out of the way using Loop 303 or Happy Valley Road to reach the elementary school, according to Flores.

Krista Lyman, a resident of Cross River, said the bridge will connect her to where her elderly grandmother lives. She said that fact has relieved some of her stress in case an emergency were to happen that required Lyman to reach her grandmother quickly.

But Lyman also expressed concerns that even with the new bridge, "North Peoria is becoming so congested."

"People are talking about congested roads, and a water shortage, but meanwhile they're building 400 new houses," Lyman said.

Reach the reporter at endia.fontanez@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @EndiaRain.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: North Peoria-area bridge opens, part of Deer Valley Road project