Lo, there is water in the desert.
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| The Gila River |
And to cross that water, you need a bridge.
The Gillespie Dam Bridge was built in the 1920's, to not only cross the Gila River, but to connect the first transcontinental ocean-to-ocean highway as part of US Highway 80. It was a marvel of engineering for its time, one of the longest span bridges in Arizona at the time. After many years of service, and the building of newer, bigger highways, US Highway 80 was decommissioned and the bridge was turned over to Maricopa County. The county has done well by the bridge, even rehabilitating it for our Centennial Year.
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| I love artsy shots. |
The "dam" part of this is here too.
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| Broken and somehow more lovely. |
The dam is older than its sister bridge, and hasn't weathered its years as well. The Gila River breached the Gillespie Dam in 1993, and it has never been repaired. River silt gathers in the arches of the dam now, creating little areas for grasses and wildlife. Barn Swallows make their homes in these arches as well, occasionally winging out fast and low over the water's surface to skim for tasty bugs. I think its very pretty, this broken dam.
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| Super Taco and the Bridge |
Getting to the Gillespie Dam Bridge is a nice little day trip from Phoenix. The whole trip is on paved roads, winding through first Rainbow Valley and then Buckeye Valley. The area is very agricultural - cattle, alfalfa, cotton and various other crops abound. We saw lots of farm equipment on the road and in the fields, as it is spring time and that means harvest time. Great weather, great scenery, and a little bit of history... what more could you ask for?
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