Gila Bend holds up Valley weekend traffic
March 4th, 2008, 4:44 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Le Templar
Gila Bend, Ariz., calls itself The Crossroads of the Southwest. Well, the crossroads were closed to hundreds of travelers Saturday as the town of 2,055 launched a parade as part of its annual celebration for the long-forgotten stagecoach days.
I was on a quick road trip to Mexico Saturday heading south on state Route 85 when I approached Gila Bend. This is a popular route for Valley residents to reach Ajo and Rocky Point, Mexico, or to jump on Interstate 8 to head west to San Diego. The state highway was closed just as we entered town, and all traffic was detoured to streets south and west of the residential areas. We came out again just west of the Love’s convenience store and McDonald’s restaurant, which was just fine for those heading to I-8 but the wrong location if you need to continue south on Route 85. That connection is just east of the McDonald’s.
The traffic lines got pretty long as motorists drove through the detours, and one person working traffic control did his best to stop us from reaching the Love’s store or continuing south on Route 85, even though it turned out those areas weren’t officially part of the closure.
I was stunned Gila Bend, with an economy that depends heavily on tourists reaching those stores and restaurants on the main street, would close the road to all traffic and create such a disruption. Parades can be held any street, after all, but state highways are are funded by taxpayers everywhere to keep traffic moving.
A spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Transportation told me her agency did issue a state permit to Gila Bend for a 90-minute closure as part of the Butterfield Stage Days celebration, which is held on the first weekend in March. She said ADOT relies on local communities to minimize traffic disruptions and to offer alternative traffic routes. I do know the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office was on hand, as deputy vehicles were used in several locations to block Route 85. But those directing traffic appeared to be either town employees or volunteers, as they wore regular clothing and orange plastic vests. I have a phone call in Gila Bend Town Manager Lynn Farmer, and I’ll update this post with any details I might learn about why Gila Bend created this unnecessary headache for travelers.
