"Currently, the four lanes of traffic that travel Thompson Peak Parkway merge into two travel lanes over the existing bridge."
That sentence comes from the staff report City Engineer Alison Tymkiw sent to Scottsdale City Council this month. Anyone who drives Thompson Peak Parkway past DC Ranch knows the spot it describes. Over Reata Pass Wash, the parkway narrows to a single lane in each direction and then widens again on the other side.
On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Council approved the fix. Resolution No. 13778 authorizes Contract No. 27IBF097 with Ames Construction, Inc., for up to $8,085,461.26 "to build a bridge on Thompson Peak Parkway over the Reata Pass Wash." It passed on the consent agenda as part of a single 7–0 vote, and no one from the public commented on it.
That quiet vote closes out seven years of work. The bridge going up this fall costs more than twice what voters approved. Its design has already been trimmed to fit the budget, and DC Ranch's community leaders spent the summer negotiating over how it will look.
A Project DC Ranch Put on the Ballot
The bridge is Project 62 from Scottsdale's 2019 bond election. It appeared on the project list as "Build a Bridge on Thompson Peak Parkway Bridge over Reata Pass Wash to Improve Safety," with a budget of $6,300,000. DC Ranch's community site says its own advocacy is the reason the bridge became the only transportation project in that election. The site also says the community persuaded the city to move the completion date up from 2028 to spring 2027.
The city's approach is to leave the existing span in place and build a second bridge next to it. According to the staff report, the new bridge will "mirror" the one already over Reata Wash. Adding it lets Thompson Peak Parkway carry four lanes all the way through, which completes the road "to its ultimate cross-section and improving safety." The contract also covers a public art component and minor improvements to the current bridge.
Cars are only part of the reason. At an August 31 meeting of the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee, staff described the project's safety focus as pedestrian and bicycle access near a school and a park.
The pace has been slow. Scottsdale's FY24/25 budget paid for design, with construction expected the following year. By July 2025, design consultant Kimley-Horn was doing the environmental and cultural resource surveys required before the job could go out to bid. Bids came in on August 20, 2026.
How $6.3 Million Became $13.7 Million
The 2019 ballot figure is the number most residents will remember. It no longer describes the project.
| Milestone | Figure | Source of the number |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 bond election, Project 62 | $6,300,000 | Bond project list |
| February 5, 2026, added from 2% transportation sales tax | $7.4 million | Paths & Trails Subcommittee minutes |
| February 5, 2026, total project cost | $13.7 million | Paths & Trails Subcommittee minutes |
| September 22, 2026, Ames Construction contract | up to $8,085,461.26 | City Council agenda |
At the February 5 meeting, city staff explained that the extra $7.4 million from the 2 percent sales tax account covers updated design and cost estimates, which puts the total at $13.7 million. On August 31, the bond oversight committee heard that Council's July 1 budget process added transportation sales tax funds to Project 62, an increase of about $7.0 million to its total. DC Ranch's July 2026 update rounds the total to $14 million.
The construction contract by itself is about $1.79 million larger than the entire amount voters approved in 2019. The rest of the $13.7 million goes to the costs that come before and around construction, such as design, surveys and the art requirement. The city has not published a line-by-line breakdown of what drove the increase. In March 2023, DC Ranch's project history pointed to inflation and nationwide construction delays across several city bond projects, but it gave no bridge-specific figures.
Bids were the one place the numbers went the other way. At the Transportation Commission meeting on September 17, staff said bids came in below the engineering estimate. The cost had climbed before the job went to bid, not afterward.
The Design DC Ranch Negotiated
A doubled budget leads to cost cutting, and the cutting shows in the design. In July 2026, the city shared its initial drawings with the DC Ranch Community Council. After staff and the Community Council Board reviewed them, DC Ranch sent back four points:
- Stone. Fake stone is not acceptable. The new bridge should match the original by using DC Cobble.
- Barriers. Jersey barriers along the full length of the bridge are not acceptable either. DC Ranch suggested removing the sidewalk and continuing the natural path through the wash.
- Arches. DC Ranch does not prefer removing the arched supports under the bridge but understands the cost savings for the city.
- Railings. Metal railings can replace wood if the design matches the original bridge, and the original bridge's railings, which are in poor condition, should be replaced with metal as part of the project.
Most of that list is DC Ranch trying to protect the look of the bridge it already has. The arches are the exception. DC Ranch accepted losing them, which makes them the most visible thing given up to save money. The new span will sit beside the old one and copy its look in some ways but not this one.
The city's response so far confirms one item. When staff presented the final design at the September 17 Transportation Commission meeting, they described one material change, a metal feature replacing wood for longevity. The public record available now does not say whether DC Cobble made it into the final design, how the wash path will be handled, or whether the Jersey barriers were removed.
The public art is required by city ordinance, so it was never going to be cut. No artist or concept has been announced yet.
What Is Still Unknown as Construction Begins
City staff told the Transportation Commission on September 17 that construction is expected to start in October. At the time, they said the start depended on Council approving the contract, and that approval came five days later. As of today, some practical details for anyone who uses this stretch of road have not been published:
- Lane restrictions. Neither the city's project materials nor the Council item describes lane closures, detours or work hours on Thompson Peak Parkway.
- The Reata Wash path. DC Ranch's network of landscaped paths and trails runs more than 50 miles and includes a "Reata Wash/Thompson Peak Pkwy. Route." No closure plan for that route during construction has been made public.
- Duration. No construction schedule has been released.
- Finish date. DC Ranch's earlier target was spring 2027. With work starting in October 2026, that leaves about six months, and the city has not confirmed a new date.
- Inspection. A commissioner asked whether the county or a consultant would handle construction inspection. Staff said they would follow up.
- The art. The piece is required, but no artist or concept has been named.
The city held a public open house on the design and construction timeline on September 9 at The Homestead in DC Ranch. That is the most direct way the city has shared the schedule with residents. The best places to watch for traffic details once work starts are the city's traffic restrictions page and DC Ranch's bridge update page. DC Ranch has posted every update on this project since 2023.
The same 2019 bond also paid for Project 42, which added a dog park at Thompson Peak Park. That park opened on August 21, 2026, at the southwest corner of Hayden Road and Thompson Peak Parkway. So within about two months, the parkway has one 2019 bond project finished and another starting construction.
Construction on the corridor can be hard to plan around when you are thinking about listing or showing a home. Ask Gregory Hidder + TEAM about timing around the Thompson Peak Parkway work. We follow these projects closely so our clients can plan around them. Schedule a private consultation.
