[4][5] As the dam was located at an important river crossing that would later become U.S. Route 80, the Arizona Highway Department – the predecessor to the Arizona Department of Transportation – constructed a concrete apron at the foot of the dam to allow for vehicular crossings.

As the dam was a simple spillover construction, during times of heavy runoff cars would have to be pulled through the flow by trucks, and during floods could not cross at all.

[6] The dam was also to have supported a new town of Gillespie that was to be built 12 miles (19 km) west of Gila Bend along the Southern Pacific Railroad.

Gillespie was reported to have planned to spend $1,000,000 building the town, including "graded streets, cement sidewalks, business blocks and a hotel, many residences, water and lighting systems and all other modern conveniences.

[8] Due to the failure, three underground natural gas lines were exposed and later severed by the floodwaters.