Scottsdale held a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, for a second bridge over the Reata Wash on Thompson Peak Parkway. Physical construction began the following Monday, Nov. 2. When the project wraps — about 12 months later — the pinch-point where four lanes squeeze into two will be gone for DC Ranch, Grayhawk, and McDowell Mountain Ranch commuters.
Your commute on Thompson Peak Parkway, and why that merge is so frustrating
If you drive Thompson Peak Parkway between Scottsdale Road and 100th Street, you already know the problem. Four travel lanes and two bike lanes approach the existing bridge, then everything funnels down to two travel lanes and two bike lanes to cross the Reata Wash. The city has identified that merge as a safety concern for both drivers and cyclists.
Once the second bridge is finished, that bottleneck is gone. The road will carry four continuous lanes with bike lanes all the way from Scottsdale Road to 100th Street. That matters most if you use Thompson Peak Parkway to reach DC Ranch, Grayhawk, McDowell Mountain Ranch, or the Brown’s Ranch Trailhead corridor.
During the roughly year-long build, crews will be working near the wash. But the first phase — described in detail below — leaves your travel lanes alone. The bigger disruptions, if any come, will show up in later phases.
What the Thompson Peak Parkway bridge project actually builds
The project adds a second bridge span over Reata Wash — also referenced in city documents as Reata Pass Wash — alongside the existing crossing. The official city project page describes the new span as a westbound, 2-lane bridge mirroring the existing structure, complete with bike lanes and a sidewalk. However, the same page’s project history states the city is required to build the bridge “on the east side of the roadway to accommodate northbound travel,” and the original bond ballot document also describes it as an east bridge for northbound traffic. The two descriptions on official city documents are inconsistent. InsideTheValley.com has flagged this for clarification from the city; check back for an update.
What is not in dispute: the project creates a continuous four-lane roadway with bike lanes between Scottsdale Road and 100th Street. It also includes minor improvements to the current bridge and a public art component, as approved by Scottsdale City Council on Sept. 22, 2026.
A design rendering of the new Thompson Peak Parkway bridge span, showing stone masonry abutments, decorative rust-colored metal railings, and a pedestrian sidewalk. (City of Scottsdale / rendering)
Groundbreaking Oct. 27, construction underway Nov. 2: the full timeline
The city held the official groundbreaking ceremony on the morning of Oct. 27, 2026. Crews then mobilized and began physical construction on Nov. 2, 2026. Work runs weekdays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The city’s project page says construction is expected to take about 12 months. That puts a likely completion window in late 2027, though no official opening date has been announced.
Design work was handled by Kimley-Horn and was funded in the city’s FY24/25 budget. Construction funding came through the city’s FY25/26 budget — meaning design and construction drew from two separate fiscal-year appropriations spread across multiple years before a shovel hit the ground.
Phase 1 explained: what crews are doing now and why your lanes are fine
Phase 1 covers three tasks: native plant salvage, utility work, and drilling for bridge supports in the Reata Wash. None of that work touches the travel lanes, so your drive is not affected during this phase.
Crews are on site weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The drilling for bridge supports is the most visible part of Phase 1 — that is where the new span’s footings go into the wash bed.
Attendees at the Oct. 27, 2026 groundbreaking ceremony for the Thompson Peak Parkway bridge over Reata Wash. (City of Scottsdale / photo)
How the $14.2 million project is funded: Bond Project #62 and the 0.2% sales tax
The total project budget is $14,200,000. It comes from two sources: the 2019 Scottsdale Bond Election and the city’s 0.2% Transportation Sales Tax.
Voters approved $6.3 million for this bridge in the 2019 bond package, under Bond Question 2 — Community Spaces and Infrastructure — as Bond Project #62. It was the only transportation project in that entire bond election, and DC Ranch Community Council advocacy was behind its inclusion.
The construction contract itself was awarded to Ames Construction for $8,085,461.26, as approved by Scottsdale City Council on Sept. 22, 2026. That vote was a consent agenda item, meaning there was no separate council debate.
The DC Ranch developer agreement: why only one bridge was built to begin with
When DC Ranch was developed, the developer was required to design both bridges over Reata Wash on Thompson Peak Parkway. Only one was actually built at the time. The reason: traffic volume did not yet justify a second span.
The developer-city agreement included a future obligation. As the area grew and traffic warranted it, the city became responsible for building the second bridge. That trigger has long since been reached, making this project the city delivering on a commitment tied to DC Ranch’s original development approval.
Seven years from voter approval to groundbreaking: the 2019 bond in context
Scottsdale voters approved the 2019 bond in November of that year. The Thompson Peak Parkway bridge groundbreaking came in late October 2026 — nearly seven years later. As of the Sept. 22 council meeting, the city was still less than halfway through its 58 approved 2019 bond projects.
The timeline for this project: bond approval in 2019, design funding in FY24/25, construction funding in FY25/26, groundbreaking Oct. 27, 2026, and an expected completion roughly 12 months from construction start.
For residents tracking other 2019 bond projects, Bond Project #62 reaching construction is a signal — but the broader program still has a long runway ahead.
When the new bridge could open — and what comes before it
No official opening date has been set. The city’s project page says construction will take about 12 months, which points to a window around late 2027 if the schedule holds. Phase 1 work — plant salvage, utility relocation, and foundation drilling — is underway now with no lane impact. Later construction phases may affect traffic; the city has not released a phased-impact schedule as of this writing.
For the latest project updates, the City of Scottsdale’s capital improvement project page for the Thompson Peak Parkway Bridge is the primary official source. DC Ranch Community Council has also tracked this project continuously since the 2019 bond election.
