"Will there be access to Gilbert Regional Park from the Ocotillo Bridge? Yes."
That's how the Town of Gilbert answers the question on its Phase 2 project page. The answer is accurate. It also skips over timing. On the same page, the Town lists "roadway connections to the new Ocotillo Road bridge and Higley Road" among the Phase 2 work, and it expects Phase 2 to open to the public by Summer 2028. The bridge itself is scheduled to open this fall. The Town is holding its grand opening alongside the free Gilbert Days Festival on Saturday, Nov. 21.
For homeowners in Santan Lakeside Estates, the gated ski-lake community near Riggs and Higley roads, this changes the plan for the next two years. The new bridge is something to go see. Until the park's internal road reaches it, it won't change how you get to the lake, the splash pad or the pickleball courts.
What Opens in November
The Ocotillo Road extension runs 0.85 miles between Greenfield Road and Higley Road. The Town calls it a direct connection to Gilbert Regional Park and an east-west arterial for South Gilbert. The project has four major structures: three vehicle bridges and a box culvert. They cross the Roosevelt Water Conservation District Canal, the East Maricopa Floodway, the Chandler Heights Regional Basin and Queen Creek Wash. Town Council approved the $112 million project in June 2024, and most of the money comes from the transportation bond.
The centerpiece is the Palo Verde bridge, which crosses the Chandler Heights Regional Basin and land set aside for future park phases. Residents picked the design themselves. In March 2022, about 3,500 people voted on four concepts. In June, nearly 2,900 voted again between the two finalists, Palo Verde and Desert Falls. The Town's August 27, 2026 update said crews were installing decorative lighting, shade structures and handrails on the Park Bridge. Progress photos show shaded lookout decks on the pedestrian side. The bridge lighting can be dimmed at certain times of day to match park operating hours.
That update also put the road at 75% complete, with a construction timeline of "Summer 2024 - Fall 2026." When the Town broke ground in 2024, it expected to finish in Summer 2026, so the schedule slipped by one season. As of early October, the Town hasn't posted a date for opening the road to everyday traffic.
Why the Park's Front Door Stays on Queen Creek Road
The park's published visitor address is 3005 E. Queen Creek Road, at Higley and Queen Creek. From the Riggs Road side of town, that means driving north on Higley. That doesn't change on Nov. 21.
Phase 2 is built through a series of contracts. Council approved the first one on June 9, 2026, which started the earthwork, grading and underground utilities. It approved the second on September 15, after postponing it from August so staff could finish more financial and risk analysis. According to the Town, that second contract covers a six-field youth softball complex, "a roadway connection to the new Ocotillo Road bridge," and new parking and lighting. The Phase 2 project page put the work at 10% complete.
So the road that will take drivers from the bridge into the park is in a contract Council approved on September 15 and is part of a phase due by Summer 2028. Until then, the bridge is a place to walk and look out over the basin and a faster east-west route. The Town also says it will add another access point on Higley Road as part of Phase 2.
The trail picture is similar. The bridge is designed to connect to future trails along the RWCD canal, the Eastern Maricopa Floodway and the Queen Creek banks. The Town says it is "currently pursuing rights" to use those corridors, and each connection depends on an agreement with the agency that controls it. The bridge comes first. The trails come later, and only if those agreements are reached.
What You Can Use Right Now
The current park already has plenty to use, all from the Queen Creek Road entrance:
- A seven-acre stocked fishing lake with a half-mile loop around it
- A 4,000-square-foot splash pad and two playground areas
- 16 pickleball courts, six tennis courts, two basketball courts and six sand volleyball courts
- An amphitheater and a 10-acre event lawn
When Phase 2 opens, it adds the softball complex, more playgrounds, a bike park, a skate park, a dog park and a disc golf course. The Town's broader plan for the park also includes a pump track, shaded event spaces and an extensive trail network. The Town says any effect on current access and amenities during construction "will be kept to a minimum and planned in advance."
Three Dates Before the Ribbon Cutting
The amphitheater and event lawn host the park's biggest evenings, and three of them land between now and Thanksgiving:
- Friday, Oct. 9: Sound Bites. Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors and Wyves play, with the event running 4:30 to 10 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: The Smoke Show. This is the one that affects regular park visits. The whole park closes from noon on Oct. 23 until 5 a.m. on Oct. 25. The lawn and amphitheater area are closed for longer, from Tuesday, Oct. 20 through Monday, Oct. 26. If your weekend usually includes the lake loop or the courts, plan for another spot that Friday afternoon and Saturday.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Gilbert Days. The day starts with the Gilbert Days Parade, 8:30 to 11 a.m. in the Heritage District, on Gilbert Road between Elliot Road and Juniper Avenue. The festival runs that evening from 4 to 9 p.m. at the new Ocotillo Bridge, rain or shine. Admission is free, and so is everything inside, including the family area with inflatables and backyard games. Double Deuce plays from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and Nineball from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Eight food trucks will be serving BBQ, burgers, tacos and desserts.
The festival page has one inconsistency. The heading and description say Saturday, Nov. 21, but the entertainment lineup is labeled "Saturday, November 22." Nov. 21, 2026 is the Saturday, so plan on Nov. 21. The parade page lists Nov. 21 too, but its road-closure details refer to Nov. 22, so check the closures before you head to the Heritage District. The Town's project FAQ says traffic on Ocotillo Road will be heavier around the start and end times of park events. For big events like the 4th of July, it says extra traffic control may be added depending on expected crowds.
The Road Change Shows Up First on Your Commute
Day to day, the extension makes its first difference on east-west drives. The Town expects traffic on Queen Creek Road and Chandler Heights Road to drop "for a certain period" once Ocotillo connects through. It also says normal growth will bring those volumes back up over time. The Town's traffic study projects about 28,000 vehicles a day on the new stretch of Ocotillo by 2040. Near Freeman Farms Road, there will be no traffic signal at the intersection. Instead, a pedestrian-activated crossing is going in about 350 feet east of Freeman Farms.
North of the park, Higley Road has its own construction. A seven-month water pipeline rehabilitation started September 28 on Higley between Loop 202 and Queen Creek Road. Restrictions may include closing up to two lanes in each direction and limiting turns. The Town says water service interruptions could come up again in April 2027 as this phase wraps up. If you drive from Riggs Road up to the 202, the slow part of the trip this winter is likely to be north of the park, not around the new bridge.
Put together, here's what changes for south Gilbert this season. The bridge is open to see and walk, Gilbert Days introduces it on Nov. 21, and the Queen Creek Road entrance stays the way into the park until the Phase 2 road connection is finished, which the Town expects by Summer 2028.
The new bridge and the Phase 2 park expansion are the kind of nearby public projects that come up when buyers compare homes in Santan Lakeside Estates. If you're thinking about how this corridor's next two years might affect your home's value, Big Picture Real Estate Group can put together a current valuation based on recent sales near Riggs and Higley. Request Your Free Home Valuation.
