The Globe-Show Low Highway An Engineering Triumph

by Patricia Sanders

The very first road in Arizona was established in 1846 by Capt. Philip St. George Cooke as he led the soldiers of the Mormon Battalion across southern Arizona. It was during the Mexican American War, and the battalion had been tasked to create wagon road between Santa Fe and San Diego, for Army use. The road – really just a track in its early days – came to be known as Cooke’s Wagon Road.

By 1927, Arizona had a state highway system with just over 2,000 miles of roads criss-crossing the state. The year 1926 saw out-of-state drivers logging more than 250 million vehicle miles on the state’s roadways. Some of Arizona’s highways were regularly carrying 5,000 cars per day – despite the fact that only ten percent of the state’s road miles were paved.

By this time, major highways connected Globe to Phoenix, Tucson, Safford, and Show Low. But reaching Show Low meant circling to the south to San Carlos and then through Fort Apache and McNary.

The formidable Salt River Canyon stood in the way: a 2,200 foot-deep gorge that served as the boundary between the White Mountain Apache lands to the north and the San Carlos Reservation to the south.

Today known as the “mini Grand Canyon,” in 1908 the Arizona Silver Belt called the Salt River Canyon “one of the roughest pieces of country on earth” – but also “some of the grandest scenery on the continent.”

The construction of a road across the Salt River Valley was finally begun in 1931. Depression-era Federal highway dollars, plus developments in engineering and construction, made the project possible –and the need for an all-weather route to the north made it necessary.

The stretch of highway crossing the Salt River Canyon was one of the first roads in the country to be built with modern heavy construction equipment and techniques, including bulldozers, portable drills, blasting, and the use of massive cuts and fills to master the extremely tough terrain. The highway hugs the cliffs, forcing drivers to negotiate hairpin turns as the road switchbacks down to the river and up the other side of the canyon. completed in 1938 and is still regarded as an example of outstanding road engineering.

The William A Sullivan Bridge across the Salt – the centerpiece of the project – was built in 1934, with a design by architect Lee Moor and funding from the Public Works Administration. The construction involved many engineering challenges. Due to a shortage of concrete, the bridge had to be designed as a single free span over the canyon – resulting in its two-hinged steel deck arch design.

The bridge was the first that the state Highway Department built with a girderribbed steel arch. Thanks to its design, the bridge also could be built more quickly than the usual spandrel-braced arch, so the new technique soon became standard.

When complete, the bridge awed observers with its grace, thanks in part to the decorative steel pylons at the arch corners and the ornamented guardrails along the curving concrete deck.

As a landmark of design and technology, the Salt River Canyon bridge appears on the National Register of Historic Places. The original bridge has been replaced by a modern, wider one, but it’s still possible to cross the old bridge, as it now carries a footpath.

YOLANDA NAVARRO, February 5, 1948 – July 30, 2023, age 75, passed away. (BM)

TOBY LEE TALKALAI, April 13, 1984 – July 30, 2023, age 39, of San Carlos, passed away at Abrazo Central Hospital in Phoenix. He worked as an administrative assistant for the San Carlos Tribe. (LM)

CHARLENE H. BROWN, August 28, 1951 – July 29, 2023, age 71, passed away. Charlene worked for the San Carlos USD. (LM)

LYMAN CHATLIN August 5, 1954 – July 29, 2023, age 68, of San Carlos, passed away at his home. He worked as a seasonal firefighter for the BIA Division of Forestry. (LM)

TERESA LEAORA SANDOVAL, July 7, 1968 –July 28, 2023, age 55, of Miami, passed away St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix. Tracey worked at the Cobre Valley Community Hospital. (LM)

DONOVAN JAMES BROOKS JR., August 17, 1989 – July 28, 2023, age 33, of San Carlos, passed away at Haven of Safford. He worked installing fencing. (LM)

PAUL DANNY RIVERA SR., August 2, 1943 – July 27, 2023, age 79, of Globe, passed away at his home. (LM)

EDWARD LESTER PATTERSON SR., October 20, 1948 – July 25, 2023, age 74, passed away at San Carlos Apache Healthcare Center in Peridot. Edward worked as a mechanic. (LM)

VIRGINIA LEE HARMON, October 6, 1926 – July 23, 2023, age 96, passed away in Globe. Virginia was originally from Long Beach, California. (LM)

CHRISTOPHER MILES DAVIS September 25, 1985 – July 23, 2023, age 37, of Phoenix, passed away at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix. He was raised on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. (LM)

BETTY V. BARTLETT, September 15, 1924 – July 21, 2023, age 98, passed away. Betty was involved in civic groups, community organizations, and local, state, and national politics in Kearny. (BM)

VONDA MAE HUDSON, October 24, 1975 – July 20, 2023, age 47, passed away at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix. Vonda worked at The Rock House daycare in Flagstaff, at Walmart as a cashier, and at Apache Gold Casino as a line cook. (LM)

FRANKLIN BELVADO III, November 12, 1991 –July 20, 2023, age 31, of San Carlos, passed away at his home. (LM)

BYRON JAY SIGN, October 9, 1998 – July 20, 2023, age 24, of San Carlos, passed away at Chandler Regional Medical Center. (LM)

CATHERINE TRUJILLO, April 30, 1926 – July 19, 2023, age 97, passed away. Katie was originally from Sonora, Arizona, and raised her family in Kearny. (BM)

ANTONIO M. SANCHEZ, October 20, 1931 – July 19, 2023, age 91, passed away. Tony retired from the Army National Guard as a colonel and served as a dentist in Miami for over 36 years. (BM)

DONNA MAE BLEVINS, June 5, 1937 – July 19, 2023, age 86, of Globe, passed away in Maricopa County. Donna retired from the UofA Cooperative Extension Office. She was a CASA volunteer, a member of the Gila Literacy Program board of directors, and a Boy Scout leader, among many other community and church activities. (LM)

CYNTHIA SUSAN YBARRA, July 28, 1972 – July 19, 2023, age 50, passed away. Cynthia had a certificate in heavy equipment maintenance and was a certified ATTSSA flagger. (LM)

COLUMBUS MACK PETTY, February 24, 1931 –July 18, 2023, age 92, of Globe, passed away at his home. C.M. Worked at Phelps Dodge in Ajo in the 1950s, served in Korea, and later worked for Inspiration Consolidated Copper Company as a journeyman boilermaker. He was also a musician and part of a band called the Cobre Valley Wranglers. (LM)

DAVID PETERSON, February 13, 1947 – July 18, 2023, age 76, passed away. (BM)

FELICIA MAE CAMARENA March 18, 1985 – July 18, 2023, age 38, passed away. (BM)

BUDD “BOB” LANE EKELMAN, January 24, 1955 –July 17, 2023, age 68, passed away. (BM)

GERALD GARRETT ROPE, March 21, 1980 – July 16, 2023, age 43, passed away at Gilson Wash in San Carlos. (LM)

MAHALA CHARLENE DEVENPORT, April 20, 1943

– July 15, 2023, age 80, passed away. Micki was a stay-at-home mom and a businesswoman. (LM)

RICHARD ALFRED BREITRICK, July 11, 1930 –July 14, 2023, age 93, of Globe, passed away in Tucson. Dick was originally from Appleton, Wisconsin. (LM)

ADELINE JANE TIFFANY, November 12, 1944 –July 14, 2023, age 78, of Superior, passed away at Heritage Health Care Center in Globe. She worked as a nurse’s assistant and was originally from San Carlos. (LM)

MICHAEL JORGE MCGINLEY, May 28, 1949 –July 14, 2023, age 74, passed away. Mike worked for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in Wisconsin and later for the Copper Basin Railway as chief mechanical officer. (LM)

JOHN ANDREW SMITH August 15, 1980 – July

14, 2023, age 42, of Phoenix, passed away at San Carlos Apache Healthcare Center in Peridot. (LM)

VERNELDA MAE PORTER, March 20, 1956 – July

12, 2023, age 67, passed away at Banner Casa Grande Medical Center. Pogo was a homemaker, childcare services worker, and Air Force Base service worker. (LM)

MICHAEL JAMES ROGERS SR., February 11, 1958

– July 11, 2023, age 65, of Peridot, passed away at his home. He proudly served in the US Army. (LM)

GEORGE LONGSTREET, November 3, 1944 – July

10, 2023, age 78, of Morenci, passed away at Haven of Safford. He proudly served in the US military. (LM)

CASEY ROLAND ROGERS SR., March 4, 1960 –July 10, 2023, age 63, of Peridot, passed away at Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center. He worked in construction as a carpenter and was a rancher. (LM)

HORTENCIA B. GONZALEZ, July 6, 1926 – July

9, 2023, age 97, passed away. Hortencia was originally from Hayden. (BM)

ALAN HARNEY, March 23, 1968 – July 9, 2023, age 55, of Peridot, passed away at his home. He worked as a seasonal firefighter for the BIA Division of Forestry. (LM)

BETTY ANN DOMINGUEZ, September 30, 1945 – July 8, 2023, age 77, of Globe, passed away at her home. Betty was a bank teller for 40 years and worked at MVD for 10 years. (LM)

JOHN MICHAEL JOSEPH BABICH, March 26, 1952 – July 8, 2023, age 71, of Globe, passed away in Globe. John served in the US Army, 1st Cavalry, 1970-72, and was a proud member of the IBEW local 518 and American Legion. (LM)

JEFF “BIG T” GENE TURNER SR., February 5, 1967 – July 8, 2023, age 56, of Globe, passed away. Jeff worked in the maintenance department at ASARCO Hayden for 14 years and later at Freeport-McMoRan for four years. (BM)

BARBARA MULL BUSH, June 20, 1953 – July 6, 2023, age 70, passed away. Barbara was born under the acorn trees in the Ranch Creek area with her grandmother Agnes Victor Thompson in attendance. (LM)

CRISS E. ROMERO, December 17, 1930 – July 5, 2023, age 92, of Superior, passed away at his home. Criss worked for Magma Copper Co. for 31 years and later for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department and Homeland Security for 10 years. He was originally from Pecos, New Mexico. (BM)

EDDIE OMANS January 30, 1955 – July 4, 2023, age 68, of Globe, passed away at Plaza Healthcare in Scottsdale. Eddie worked as a construction worker, carnival worker, and firework pyrotechnician. (LM)

TAMMY LYNN HALL July 26, 1958 – July 3, 2023, age 64, of Globe, passed away. Tammy worked as a secretary for Bowhunters and for Sullivan Paving. (LM)

MERCEDES H. HERNANDEZ September 24, 1929 – July 2, 2023, age 93, of Mesa, passed away at her home. Mercedes worked at Motorola and volunteered at the senior center in Mesa. She was originally from Miami. (BM)

ESPERANZA SOTO ODDONETTO, July 28, 1934

– July 2, 2023, age 88, of Globe, passed away at her home. Hope opened one of the first full-service salons on the mountain in Wagon Wheel and later operated a salon in Globe for 15 years. (BM)

JOAN EVELYN BERRAY-ALLEN, December 5, 1936 – July 2, 2023, age 86, passed away at Heritage Health Care Center in Globe. Joan was originally from Los Angeles. (LM)

JULIAN MARCELINO PEREZ, January 28, 1943 –July 2, 2023, age 80, of Dudleyville, passed away at his home. Ticho worked as a diesel mechanic at ASARCO for 38 years. (BM)