By Dianna M. Náñez | The Republic | azcentral.com
Tempe has approved the final piece of its $40.8 million Town Lake steel-dam project, but city officials have yet to decide whether they will pay for a long-term warranty to protect the innovative infrastructure.
The council on Thursday unanimously approved a nearly $24 million construction contract. The vote paves the way for the contractor to begin working with the engineering team to finalize the dam’s design.
Tempe officials have said it will be the largest steel dam in the nation. State officials said the hydraulic steel-gate dam will be the first of its kind in Arizona, spanning 950 feet across the dry Salt River bed.
“The steel (dam) is a reliable infrastructure that will benefit our community for years to come,” said Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell after the meeting.
Countering critics who have said the expensive man-made lake has drained the city’s budget, Mitchell said the lake has attracted millions of dollars in economic development.
