Central Arizona Project, the engineering marvel that delivers water throughout much of Arizona, held a behind-the-scenes tour this week to offer system stakeholders and members of the media a rare opportunity to descend into the temporarily empty canal for an up-close look at preventive maintenance on the Salt River Siphon.

The siphon is an 8,700-foot-long pipe, 21 feet in diameter, that runs as deep as 30 feet beneath a portion of the Salt River, carrying approximately 75 percent of all CAP water deliveries. The siphon sits approximately half-way along the length of the CAP system.

The siphon is responsible for a $90 billion contribution to the Arizona economy, according to CAP.

Gravity carries water through the siphon beneath the Salt River, and the water’s momentum takes it back to the surface as it flows to the Salt Gila Pumping Plant in Mesa.

Maintenance began Oct. 30, 2019 and included a partial recoating of the siphon to help protect against corrosion and erosion — the first recoating since 2001. Similar maintenance is expected to take place again in eight to 10 years.

CAP Board President Lisa Atkins said she thanked Salt River Project and the cities of Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler and Tucson for their assistance and collaboration in preparing for the partial service outage resulting from the maintenance project. Storage was maximized downstream from the Salt Gila Pumping Plant in preparation for the disruption.

“Without them working so closely with us — with CAP staff — on the planning phases of this project, today would not be possible,� Atkins said.

CAP General Manager Ted Cooke said planning for the six-week project began more than three years ago.

“It worked the way it was supposed to,� Cooke said of the steps taken to prepare customers and store enough water to avoid disrupting water delivery during the maintenance. Cooke said CAP’s contractors on the project worked round-the-clock in order to finish the project on schedule.

In addition to the Salt River Siphon, CAP maintains nine other siphons that run beneath the Agua Fria, New, Gila and Santa Cruz rivers.

With Salt River Siphon maintenance complete, regular water deliveries resumed Wednesday.

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Northrop Grumman and Phoenix-based general contractor Willmeng Construction Inc. hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the aerospace and defense company’s new Chandler campus last week.

The 633,000-square-foot office and manufacturing facility will provide a home for Northrop Grumman’s launch vehicle business, supporting defense and aerospace development.

“We have a rich heritage here in Arizona that spans more than three decades, and our business here continues to grow rapidly,� said Blake Larson, president of Innovation Systems at Northrop Grumman, at the ribbon-cutting. “This beautiful new facility will provide an improved work environment for our employees, provide a clean slate to work from to improve our efficiencies and give us more room for growth. I extend my gratitude to this incredible team who came together for mission success.�

Northrop Grumman has 2,500 employees at its Chandler campus and more than 3,500 employees across that state, with more than $30 million in payroll and benefits, according to the Office of Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.

“Northrop Grumman has helped make Arizona a national leader in defense and aerospace manufacturing — and this expansion will only further add to that reputation,� Ducey said at the ribbon-cutting event. “My thanks goes out to Northrop Grumman for continuing to invest in Arizona, and to everyone who worked to make this announcement possible.�

Northrop Grumman will build equipment at the new campus to support the United States missile defense program, including interceptors and targets. It will also help with satellite launches for the U.S. Air Force, National Reconnaissance Office, NASA and commercial customers.

The campus is located in the 180-acre Park Place Business Plaza developed by the Douglas Allred Company and brought to life by Willmeng Construction, Balmer Architectural Group and more than 300 subcontractors. The facility was built and delivered in only 17 months.

“The facility is a reflection of the vision that the team at the Douglas Allred Company has to strategically create appealing and unique campus environments,� said James Murphy, president and CEO of Willmeng Construction. “We were proud to take on the challenge of building this facility at a speed that is truly unparalleled in the market, achieving the unachievable to ensure there was no disruption to the important work accomplished at Northrop Grumman. We were truly working to support a launch schedule.�

Park Place is estimated to generate an annual economic impact of $1.4 billion once completed, according to Elliott D. Pollack & Company. It will also create more than 2,000 construction jobs during the initial build and another 9,691 during the subsequent build-out.

“Northrop Grumman’s investment in our ‘Community of Innovation’ will continue the city’s trajectory of economic competitiveness for years to come,â€� Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke said. “I commend Douglas Allred Company’s vision to develop the Park Place Campus, and Willmeng Construction for their professionalism and efforts to get a project of this magnitude completed on time.â€�

The Price Road Corridor of businesses, which runs along the Loop 101 Price Freeway through Chandler, Tempe and Mesa, is one of the fastest-growing labor bases in Metro Phoenix.

The new Northrop Grumman campus is located at 1575 S. Price Road.

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