Heading along Thompson Peak Parkway through DC Ranch, the road carries four lanes of traffic and two bike lanes until it reaches Reata Pass Wash. Over the wash, it narrows to two travel lanes and two bike lanes on a single bridge. Past the wash, it widens back out.
That narrowing was never meant to be permanent. Starting Monday, Nov. 2, the City of Scottsdale begins building the second span that was drawn for this spot decades ago. The bridge has been a priority of the DC Ranch Community Council since before the 2019 bond vote. The version now going ahead reflects years of cost increases, a completion date that kept moving, and design compromises the Community Council raised with the city this past summer.
Two Bridges Drawn, One Built
According to the City of Scottsdale's project page, when DC Ranch was developed, the city and the developer agreed that the developer would design both Thompson Peak Parkway bridges over Reata Wash but build only one, because traffic in the new community was still light. The agreement made the city responsible for the second bridge once traffic grew enough to need it.
The city says the single bridge has kept up with car traffic. Bicycles are the problem. In the city's words, "with an increase of bicycle traffic along this segment of roadway, the bridge has become a safety concern for motorists and cyclists." This stretch also sees large organized rides. For the March 28, 2026 HonorHealth Tour de Scottsdale, Thompson Peak Parkway was on the event's traffic-impact route, and organizers expected more than 3,000 cyclists for a ride presented with the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy and Perimeter Bicycling Association of America.
The new structure is a two-lane bridge with a bike lane and sidewalk. It mirrors the existing span, and the 2019 bond documents describe it as the "east bridge for northbound." Once it's finished, the city says Thompson Peak Parkway will run as a continuous four-lane road with bike lanes from Scottsdale Road to 100th Street. That would close the last gap in the road's planned full width.
A Finish Line That Kept Moving
The Community Council lobbied for this project in the 2019 bond election. According to its own project updates, it was the only transportation project included in that bond package. In the years since, the schedule has changed several times.
| When | What the schedule said |
|---|---|
| February 2020 | City bond implementation report lists the bridge for 2027 |
| March 13, 2020 | City manager tells the Community Council the project moves up to 2024, year five of the bond program |
| March 2023 | City confirms design in 2024, construction in 2025 to 2026 |
| June 2024 | FY24/25 city budget funds design; construction slated for the following year |
| March 2025 | Kimley-Horn hired as design consultant; environmental and cultural resource surveys begin |
| July 2025 | Community Council reports completion moved forward from 2028 to spring 2027 |
| September 22, 2026 | City Council approves the construction contract |
| November 2, 2026 | Construction begins, about 12 months of work expected |
If work starts Nov. 2 and runs about 12 months, the bridge would be finished around late 2027. That's months after the spring 2027 target the Community Council reported in July 2025. The 12-month figure is still the city's estimate, not a guaranteed date.
The Price Rose Faster Than the Schedule Slipped
Scottsdale voters approved $6.3 million for the bridge in the 2019 bond package, according to Scottsdale Progress. The city's project page now lists a $14.2 million budget, paid for by the 2019 bond and the city's 0.2% transportation sales tax.
The construction contract makes up most of that budget. On Sept. 22, 2026, the City Council approved Resolution 13778, authorizing a contract with Ames Construction for no more than $8,085,461.26. The item passed on the consent agenda by a 7–0 vote, according to the council meeting record. Before the vote, Scottsdale Progress reported that the project "appears to be barreling far north of the original estimate." The paper noted that the roughly $8 million low bid alone was more than the $6.3 million in the voter-approved package.
This has happened across the bond program. In 2023, the Community Council reported that inflation and nationwide construction delays had raised costs on many of the city's bond projects. It also reported that the city had found extra funding so that no project was cut. Scottsdale Progress reported that 26 projects are listed as completed, which puts the city at less than halfway through the bond program.
Those cost pressures also shaped the design.
What DC Ranch Asked the Bridge to Look Like
In July 2026, the city shared its initial designs for the second bridge with the DC Ranch Community Council. After reviewing them with its board, Community Council staff sent this feedback, as summarized in the Community Council's project updates:
- Fake stone is not acceptable. The stone should match the original bridge and use DC Cobble.
- Jersey barriers along the full length of the bridge are unacceptable. The Community Council suggested dropping the sidewalk and continuing the natural path through the wash instead.
- Removing the arched supports under the bridge was not its preference, but it understood the cost savings for the city.
- Metal railings in place of wood are acceptable if the design matches the original bridge. The Community Council also asked that the original bridge's railings, which it described as in poor condition, be replaced with metal as part of this project.
These were requests. The sources published so far don't say which ones made it into the final plans. The city held a public open house on the design and construction timeline on Sept. 9 at The Homestead.
The railing question in particular hasn't been settled publicly. According to the minutes of the Dec. 4, 2025 meeting of the city's Paths & Trails Subcommittee, Transportation Planning Manager Nathan Domme said replacing the wooden fencing would not be part of this project, and that retrofitting this bridge and others with metal would come in a future project. Nine months later, the staff report for the contract vote included a broader line, as quoted by Scottsdale Progress: "This project includes a public art component and minor improvements to the current bridge." The public record doesn't say whether those "minor improvements" include the railings.
The public art piece is required by city ordinance, and it has been part of the project since the design phase began. No artist or concept has been announced yet.
What Changes on Monday, and What Stays the Same
Work begins Nov. 2 and runs Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The first phase covers native plant salvage and relocation, locating underground utilities and possibly relocating them, and drilling shafts for the bridge supports. The city says much of this work happens below grade in Reata Wash and that travel lanes won't be affected during this phase.
The construction you'll see first will be in the wash next to the existing bridge. Ames Construction's staging area will be on-site, along with a temporary plant nursery that holds the salvaged desert plants until they're replanted. Traffic on the current bridge should keep moving as it does now. The merge stays in place until the new span opens.
The city hasn't announced lane restrictions or detours for later phases. Its project page, last updated Oct. 16, 2026, describes only the opening phase. Updates will most likely appear on that page and in the Community Council's project log, which has tracked this bridge since 2019.
When the second bridge opens, the merge over Reata Pass Wash will go away. Thompson Peak Parkway will then carry four vehicle lanes and two bike lanes all the way from Scottsdale Road to 100th Street, as the road was designed to do when DC Ranch was first laid out.
If you're thinking about selling or buying near Thompson Peak Parkway while the bridge is under construction, Nadine De Luca can walk you through how the timeline may affect access, showings and day-to-day use of the road over the coming year. Let's Connect. Request a Private Consultation.
