The Gillespie Bridge once offered a year round route from Atlantic to Pacific.
Lance Motta-Vilensky
Most people travel between PebbleCreek and Gila Bend on route MC 85. The road less traveled is Old U.S. Highway 80, accessed just south of Buckeye by turning right off of MC 85 onto West Hazen Road, left on south Wilson Avenue and right on west Old Highway 80; though there are alternate routes of access as well. You’ll pass through tiny hamlets as you wind your way through a rich dairy and agricultural area. After passing through Arlington, you’ll soon arrive at the magnificent Gillespie Bridge. Built in 1926, it rises like a great rusting leviathan out of the tranquil waters of the Gila River and was part of the historic “ocean to ocean” highway that offered a southerly year round route between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. 1,660 feet long, it was once the largest steel structure in the state. As you cross the bridge you’ll see the Gillespie Dam, precursor to the bridge; it was completed in 1921 and stretches across the Gila like some old, broken Roman aqueduct. Park your car on the southeast side of the bridge. It’s an easy hike to the dam where you’ll enjoy the vistas and the river teeming with fish and fowl. This is a wonderful half day excursion from PebbleCreek. If you’re driving from Goodyear to Gila Bend it’s a great alternative route. You won’t regret taking the road less traveled.