Interesting juxtaposition of the new vs the old Kelvin Bridge.
FLORENCE, AZ – – A bridge that has been in use for over 100 years is nearing the end of having to see vehicular traffic travel over it on a daily basis.
The Kelvin Bridge was built in 1916. The single lane bridge has served the Kelvin/Riverside area for 102 years spanning the Gila River and connecting the eastern side of Pinal County to the central portion.
“For some people, the Florence/Kelvin Highway is the more convenient way to travel east to west in Pinal County,” said District 1 Supervisor Pete Rios. “This bridge is a necessity for the residents in the area.”
The objective of the Kelvin Bridge Replacement project is to replace the existing bridge with a 2 lane overpass bridge to not only span the Gila River but the existing ASARCO-Copper Basin Railway as well. The existing 1916 bridge will be repurposed to a pedestrian/equestrian bridge only.
Under construction.
Almost two decades ago, Pinal County began to pursue federal funding to replace the antiquated Kelvin Bridge. The process for meeting federal funding requirements and the development of construction documents to build the new bridge began in 1998. When federal funds are used in transportation projects, there are specific requirements for environmental, right of way acquisition, utility clearances and the way construction is handled.
“This was a labor of love for Joe Ortiz, who, along with other employees throughout the years, worked on getting the approvals,” stated Public Works Director Louis Andersen. “It was a matter of patience, time and filling out stacks of paperwork to just get this project on the radar for the County. I applaud Ortiz’s dedication to getting this bridge going from an idea to reality.”
An archaeological survey completed in the end of 2007 found deposits and features that necessitated additional data recovery. Archaeologists excavated the features to map, sample and collect artifacts along with curation of the findings. The process began in the spring of 2008 with curation completed with the Arizona State Museum in Tucson in 2013.
After several years of land research and negotiations Bureau of Land Management issued an environmental clearance in 2012 and the Right-of-Way Amendment Grant in September 2016 which cleared the area for construction of the bridge and associated improvements.
Kelvin Bridge
The County coordinated with the ASARCO and the Copper Basin Railway to generate an agreement for the improvements at the railroad crossing.
“At the end of 20 years of work, we have a bridge that will last the next hundred years,” Supervisor Rios said. “I am pleased that everyone worked together to make this project a success. I think it’s a testament to the hard working attitude and determination of our county employees that made two decades of paperwork, phone calls, emails and meetings into a new Kelvin Bridge.”
There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Kelvin Bridge on Friday, June 8 at 9:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend the ceremony.