New Bridge to Cut Firefighter Response Times in Southern Arizona
Rendering of the new Ruby Road Bridge in southern Arizona (via Psomas)
A 40-year-old bridge in southern Arizona will soon receive a much-needed, multi-million-dollar overhaul to serve the growing rural community of Rio Rico, not far from Nogales.
The project will improve traffic and emergency response times for residents of a community that hasn't seen infrastructure investments on this scale in decades, if ever.
Ruby Road is one of the few entrances and exits for Rio Rico, which is encircled by an interstate, railroad tracks, mountains and creeks.
When the Union Pacific rail line is in use, drivers sometimes have to wait up to an hour to cross to the other side and emergency services have to have alternate routes to respond.
Leonard Fontes, Santa Cruz County public works director (via Fontes)
Federal funding makes ‘huge’ bridge project possible
A variety of grants will cover the cost of the improvements, including $6.6 million in federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed by Congress in 2021.
State, county and congressionally directed funds from U.S. Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema will make up the rest.
“There was no way we’d have the funding for a project of this magnitude on our own,” Santa Cruz County Public Works Director Leonard Fontes said. “We’re pretty excited about it. We knew we had this project, and we wanted to do it, but the funding was beyond our capacity.”
The federal grant, known as Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods, is a first-of-its-kind program aimed at reconnecting and revitalizing communities that were cut off from jobs, schools and economic opportunity years ago when federal highways were built right through them.
Local First Arizona, a statewide economic development organization, helps rural governments, tribal nations and nonprofits apply for funding for projects like the Ruby Road Bridge with free grant-writing assistance. Rural and tribal Arizona communities have received over $80 million in grants with Local First’s help since 2021.
911 response times to improve
The biggest impact will come from elevating the roadway above the railroad. Trains in recent years have become longer and more frequent, taking more time to pass and restricting traffic flow.
Those traffic backups not only impact residents and businesses, but response times for firefighters, police and ambulances, as well.
“The railroad is a big issue because it blocks traffic,” Fontes said. “There are so many trains coming into and out of Nogales. It’s significant. This will provide an all-weather crossing for everybody.”
Safer route for pedestrians and bicyclists
Ruby Road Bridge in Santa Cruz County (via Psomas)
In addition to vehicle traffic, the new bridge for the first time will allow residents to cross safely by walking or biking.
The infrastructure funding has come not a moment too soon. Population growth and housing costs are driving more Arizonans to seek homes farther from expensive cities, to more rural areas like Rio Rico.
“Within Nogales, there isn’t really much room to expand anymore, so people are moving to the Rio Rico area, which is a nice area. As a result, we’ve had to change the way we look at circulation,” he said. “In the past, we didn’t have a lot of pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and now it’s a reality. We’re going to be able to address a lot of that.”
Largest infrastructure project in Santa Cruz County
Fontes said he can’t remember any project in Santa Cruz County that is comparable. The last large infrastructure project the county initiated, he said, was close to two decades ago. It cost about $4 million.
“This is huge,” he said. “It’s kind of like (hitting) the lottery. You know you want to do something and hope one of the funding opportunities is the winning ticket. We understand the magnitude. This thing is going to be huge.”
Construction is expected to begin in 2025 and last a little over a year.
“We’re finally there. It’s a good position to be in, and we had a lot of support from our congressional delegates, from local to state to federal, businesses and the community,” Fontes said. “It’s why we’re here, to be able to make these things happen.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides billions of dollars for rural infrastructure, disaster assistance, high-speed internet and more. Also called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, it was passed in 2021 by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden.
Are you a rural Arizona town, tribe or nonprofit? Local First Arizona’s Economic Resource Center may be able to help you apply for millions of dollars in grant funding. Visit localfirstaz.com/economic-resource-center to learn more.
