Gila River Bridge in Florence Renamed Rusty Greer Memorial Bridge in Memory of 12-Year Old Boy

As you drive over the Gila River Bridge north of Florence on State Route 79, you may notice the bridge is now called the Rusty Greer Memorial Bridge. The bridge was officially renamed on November 1, 2024, 52 years after a 12 year-old Rusty Greer was knocked off of his bike on the bridge, while on a 50-mile bike ride to earn a Boy Scout Merit badge.

Pinal County District 2 Supervisor Mike Goodman was also on that bike ride on that fateful day of April 1, 1972, and he tells the story and the effort to have the bridge renamed, alongside Rusty's brother Doug.