RIMROCK, AZ — While covering March's flooding in Yavapai County, Rimrock resident Cindy Nicholls raised several concerns she has with roads in the county, including Interstate 17.
"We love this small-town community," said Nicholls, who's lived in the area for about 15 years. "Everybody is friendly. It's a beautiful area...life is good here."
Nicholls says there is something else that could make life even better. "We need paved roads. We need extra access."
She says that one of her biggest concerns is the bridges over Wet Beaver Creek - both the pedestrian bridge and the bridge cars use to drive over Montezuma Avenue near Sycamore Park.
When ABC15 was there in March, the normally calm creek had transformed into a raging river.
"This is the worst we've ever seen it," Nicholls said. She also worries the two bridges aren't safe or practical when this area floods.
ABC15 reached out to Yavapai County officials who told us in an e-mail: "The bridge is in good condition and we have a secondary pedestrian bridge next to it that has been designed to accept traffic loading as well. Yavapai County is comfortable with the bridge status in the Lake Montezuma area."
County officials also say they monitor the creek levels, and if they reach the bottom chord of the bridge, they would temporarily shut it down.
The county also points out that much of the Lake Montezuma area is located in a floodplain and says the southern portion of the Montezuma Avenue Bridge "typically floods before the bridge does, so while the bridge may still be above floodwaters, the southern approach may not be safe to drive through to get to the bridge."
Nicholls says there has to be a better option.
In March, she told us, "That whole part yesterday flooded. And usually this whole area floods. Our cars are going to go down the creek. So it just doesn't make sense. We need help. We need safety for all of us."
Another concern for her is accessing her community in bad weather.
"Many of these small communities have one way in and one way out," she added.
Nicholls says she lives in constant fear that when the weather gets bad, she'll get stranded.
"Last week, I had to take clothes, take my truck instead of the car so I could either get here or stay at a hotel room and it's not right," she said.
Her solution is to add another road in the area.
"I've been begging for a road that comes down to Lake Montezuma down past the ranch house where I live to go straight to Camp Verde to where the Montezuma Castle is so that we have another way to get out of here," Nicholls said.
But Yavapai County officials say it's not that simple.
Through an e-mail, they told us, "Interstate 17 between Lake Montezuma and Camp Verde is sufficient for most all conditions to connect the two communities. For cases when flooding is occurring, the route described between Lake Montezuma and Montezuma Castle/Camp Verde would have to traverse or cross Beaver Creek, potentially in multiple locations. It would be an expensive endeavor and the County does not believe there is a significant enough need to prioritize this infrastructure over other needs."
Speaking of I-17, Nicholls says the entire Verde Valley is becoming more of a tourist destination and worries about the crowds of people filling up the freeway.
"And when the Phoenix people come up the 17, I've been begging to get the 17 widened, too. We can't even get off the exit to go anywhere," Nicholls said.
The Arizona Department of Transportation is the in the middle of its I-17 Improvement Project, which will widen and add flex lanes to 23 miles of the highway between Anthem Way and Sunset Point.
ADOT says there are no plans to widen the I-17 in other parts of Yavapai County closer to where Nicholls lives. ADOT says this kind of project would require a significant amount of additional funding for an environmental impact study, designing the project and, finally, the actual construction.
ADOT goes on to say, "Currently, no additional funding is available."
Nicholls says despite what she's hearing from officials, she's not giving up. "We're tired of it. We need change. And this is the time."
