SAFFORD — Design of the next park in the Gila Valley is about to begin.
During Monday’s Meeting, The Graham County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved n intergovernmental agreement with the Arizona Department of Transportation for design of the Gila River Linear Park and Trail.
“We’ve got to approve this in order to get the funding from ADOT, in order to move this design process along. It’s really a formality,” said Supervisor Paul David.
Cost to design the park is estimated at $528,278, with ADOT expending $498,166 in federal aid fund. The county is required to pay 5.7 percent, or $30,112.
Graham County has committed about $200,000 to the project, and another $1.3 million is coming from a federal allocation secured by U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz.
Total cost of the park was estimated at $4.36 million in 2020.
The 7.4-mile park, with multiple trails, is proposed to run through both Safford and Thatcher along the Gila River and connect to the existing multi-use trail.
The space will not only enable hiking, running, biking, and horseback riding but will provide opportunities for economic development through eco-tourism and create beneficial public uses for the river’s floodplain.
