By Recker McDowell —
The Scottsdale City Council has approved a new construction contract for repairs at the Drinkwater Bridge over Drinkwater Boulevard.
Drinkwater Boulevard has been closed since last summer after city engineers discovered the bridge at Civic Center Mall was crumbling and needed emergency repairs.
The latest contract is the third phase for the bridge repairs. The Drinkwater Bridge repairs are exactly why voters need to approve the three bond questions on this November’s ballot.
The Scottsdale bonds put money towards more Civic Center Mall repairs and upgrades after the emergency repairs are done. The bonds will help the Civic Center Mall host art, cultural and culinary festivals as well as community events. Without the investments from the bonds it could take the city years and years to improve the plaza.
The same holds true for many of the other 58 projects in the bond program (Questions 1, 2 and 3). A new park and dog park, new and modernized fire and police stations, 13 new youth sports fields and expanding the Via Linda and Granite Reef senior center might have to wait a long time, or might not get done at all, without the bonds.
Scottsdale can’t just keep doing infrastructure repairs piecemeal. The Drinkwater Bridge and the bridge at 68th Street both had to be closed because they were literally crumbling. The southern end of Indian Bend Wash also has lakes, irrigation systems and a small dam that all need repaired. Again, the city has been putting band-aids on some of its infrastructure needs and repairs. The bonds will allow for some long-term structural repairs to get done. The bonds also build new fire stations, install bulletproof glass at police stations and add trails and restrooms at Pinnacle Peak Park.
Those are all important — including fulfilling Scottsdale’s need for long-term infrastructure repairs and solutions.