DC Ranch got two projects on Thompson Peak Parkway into Scottsdale's 2019 bond election. One is a dog park at Hayden Road. The other is a second bridge over the Reata Wash. The dog park cut its ribbon on August 21, 2026, after years of moving dates. A month later, City Council approved a construction contract for the bridge.
The two projects come from the same ballot and sit on the same stretch of road, and both have run on schedules that moved. The dog park's published dates kept moving later until the gates opened, and right now the city's own bridge schedule runs later than the completion date DC Ranch has been sharing.
From Ballot to Ribbon Cutting
The dog park's history is clearest in the dated updates the DC Ranch community has posted on its dog park page over the years:
- April 2023: At a city open house, Parks and Recreation staff showed a design for a 3.5-acre, three-cell site. The discussion centered on the ground surface. Wood chips and decomposed granite had needed less downtime than grass in other cities.
- April 2024: Fencing went up at the corner, which DC Ranch took as the start of construction.
- July 2024: The city estimated completion in summer 2025.
- July 2025: DC Ranch reported the project was delayed by more than two years and still waiting on approval from city staff and the Development Review Board.
- May 2026: Construction started, with completion scheduled for 2026.
- August 21, 2026: City Council and Park Commission members held a ribbon cutting from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
The fencing went up in 2024, but approvals were still pending in 2025. That gap explains the long wait for a park that looked like it was under way. The Scottsdale Independent covered the opening, and the city's project page was updated afterward. Even so, a line lower on that page still read "Coming Summer 2025."
How the Park Works Now
The 2023 design discussion about surfaces explains the park's routine today. The city went with grass, and the Thompson Peak Dog Park at 20199 N. 78th Place now has 3.5 acres of it, plus shade canopies, benches and water fountains. Grass needs time to recover, so the park has three areas, and one is always closed:
- Active Dogs area: open most of the time
- Passive Dogs area: open most of the time
- Third area: rotates out for maintenance and turf repair
The park is open from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. year-round. Maintenance runs every Monday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon. If you usually come mid-morning, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or the weekend will avoid the maintenance crews.
The city's posted rules are standard but strict. Each visitor can bring up to four dogs, and children under 16 need an adult with them. Dogs must be licensed and vaccinated. Puppies under four months can't come in until they have both. Female dogs in heat, food and alcohol aren't allowed in the exercise area. Outside the fence, dogs need a leash no longer than 6 feet.
You get in from Hayden Road, where DC Ranch says there's a 100-space parking lot with restrooms nearby. A footbridge connects the off-leash area to the rest of Thompson Peak Park. The public art is "Woof!" by Arizona artist Shachi Kale, which Scottsdale Arts announced just before the opening.
The Bridge Is Where the Dog Park Was in 2024
On September 22, 2026, City Council approved a construction contract with Ames Construction, Inc. for Bond 2019 Project 62, capped at $8,085,461.26. The total project budget on the city's Thompson Peak Parkway Bridge page is $14.2 million. The 2019 bond covers most of it, and Scottsdale's 0.2% transportation sales tax pays the rest.
The project fixes a squeeze anyone who drives this road knows. Today, Thompson Peak's four traffic lanes and two bike lanes narrow to two traffic lanes and two bike lanes to cross the existing bridge over the Reata Wash. The new two-lane bridge will mirror the existing one, with bike lanes and a sidewalk. Once it's done, Thompson Peak will have four continuous lanes with bike lanes from Scottsdale Road to 100th Street.
The second bridge was planned from the start. According to the city, when DC Ranch was built, the developer agreed to design both Thompson Peak bridges but build only one, because the new community didn't have enough traffic to need two. Traffic grew, and more bicycle traffic made the single bridge a safety concern for drivers and cyclists. DC Ranch says its advocacy is the reason the bridge was the only transportation project in the 2019 bond.
Two Finish Dates for One Bridge
The bridge's schedule has moved before, much like the dog park's. These are the versions on record:
| Source and date | Construction window | Completion |
|---|---|---|
| City manager schedule, reported by DC Ranch, March 2023 | 2025 to 2026 | Within that window |
| DC Ranch update, July 2025 | Not stated | Spring 2027, moved up from 2028 |
| City project page, updated August 28, 2026 | Starts fall 2026, about 12 months | Not printed |
The city doesn't give a completion date. A fall 2026 start plus about 12 months of work points to fall 2027, not spring 2027. DC Ranch's bridge page still shows the spring 2027 target it reported in 2025. Neither the city nor DC Ranch has announced a revised completion date. The city's schedule is the more recent of the two, and it's the one tied to the approved contract.
Some details are still missing. We found no published lane restrictions, detour plan or wash-path closure plan. We also found no confirmed construction start date. DC Ranch announced a city open house at The Homestead for September 9, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., to share the design and construction timeline. We didn't find a published recap of that meeting. Until the city posts traffic-control details, plan on the existing two-lane squeeze lasting through most of the next year, with construction going on beside it.
What the Community Council Asked For
The design isn't final on details residents will see every day. After the city shared early drawings, the DC Ranch Community Council sent this feedback, as posted on the DC Ranch bridge page:
Fake stone is not acceptable, the stone should match the original bridge by use of DC Cobble
The Council also opposed Jersey barriers along the full length of the bridge. It suggested dropping the sidewalk and continuing the natural path through the wash instead. It accepted metal railings if they match the original bridge design and asked that the original bridge's worn wood railings be replaced with metal too. It said it understood that removing the arched supports under the bridge saves the city money, though that wasn't its preference. The city's project page describes the new bridge with a sidewalk. So the sidewalk question is one to watch as construction documents come out. By city ordinance, the bridge also needs a public art piece. No artist or design has been named yet.
The Next Few Weeks Nearby
A few nearby dates fall before the bridge work starts:
- Brown's Ranch Trailhead has been closed, parking lot included, since improvement work began in July. The city expects it to reopen in late October and suggests Tom's Thumb in the meantime. The work reroutes five trail segments, so expect some changes to familiar loops.
- Spooky Carnival "Gotham Ranch" is DC Ranch's Halloween event on October 24, with tickets through Club Automation, according to the DC Ranch site.
- Tomu-San Sushi is taking reservations at 20825 N. Pima Road, Suite 100, the former Liberty Station space at Market Street. When WhatNow first reported it in September 2025, the opening target was the end of 2025. Its reservation page was taking October 2026 bookings.
If a year of bridge work on Thompson Peak changes your plans for your DC Ranch home, we can help you weigh the timing. DiBiase Team follows projects like this one closely, and we can tell you what they mean for a sale or a move. Start with a clear number: Get Your Home Estimate.
