The Critical Path

New SR 77 Bridge over Canada Del Oro Wash 1985 The beautiful expanse of desert just north of Tucson called Oro Valley joined the US in 1853 as part of the Gasden Purchase. Canada del Oro (Canyon of Gold) was the name given to the area by early prospectors due to a legendary lost spanish mine, however very little gold was ever found. Homesteading started in the early 1900 and by the 1930's wealthy families started buying up the land to create massive winter estates and guest

Bridge girder hung up on highway frontage road. Tucson Arizona 1985

Due to the water flowing down the creek and the restrictions placed by the Forest Service, setting the +/- 100 ft long bridge girders on the NB Deer Creek bridge called for a specialty operation that included approximately 6 separate synchronized crane maneuvers to safely move the 50+ ton girders from the truck to the bridge abutments. One crane is on top of the roadway and the other is in the bottom of the creek. Before reading further, imagine trying to carry a bucket of w

I plan to post a series of historical stories about the highway that was once a ribbon of death in the State of Arizona. History: Prior to 1950 to travel from Phoenix to Payson, you had to drive through Apache Junction, take the Bush Highway along the lower Salt River to Saguaro Lake and then take highway 87 to Payson. In the early 1950's the County negotiated a deal to build a section of highway across tribal land to make a direct route from Mesa to the Saguaro lake turnof