The Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Council (MAG) has approved the reallocation of $18.6 million to reconstruct the Gilbert Road Bridge over the Salt River.

Fountain Hills Councilman Cecil Yates represents the town on the MAG board and he informed the Town Council at its regular meeting last week of the MAG decision.

A summary of the decision is posted on the MAG website, azmag.gov.

“In a move to direct regional funding to where it is most needed, the Regional Council approved an exception to the Arterial Life Cycle Program (ALCP) Policies and Procedures,” the summary states. “The exception reallocates monies to the Gilbert Road Bridge over the Salt River.

“The Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) made the request to reallocate $18.6 million in regional funding from the Dobson Road bridge project and $10 million from the McKellips Road project.

“The monies instead will be used to fund the Gilbert Road Bridge, the cost of which has gone up significantly since the project was originally put into the ALCP. A 2015 technical bridge review concluded that the Gilbert Road Bridge has safety issues and traffic flow is impacted during water releases.

“(While) ALCP Policies and Procedures prohibit reallocation of project savings until construction has been completed or there is a high degree of certainty that it will be completed within the specified scope and schedule…staff noted that the Gilbert Road Bridge provides a critical all-weather connection over the Salt River and MCDOT will be able to move forward with the project with the reallocated funding, making this exception in the best interests of the public.”

Salt River Project water releases into the Salt River earlier this winter caused significant damage to northbound lanes at the river crossing on Gilbert Road. The result has been that traffic has been restricted to using the southbound bridge in both directions until repairs are made.