SR 86 serves as a regional transportation route connecting the Tucson metropolitan area to the communities of Sells and Ajo and serves the sparsely populated areas in south-central Arizona. In recent years the Tucson urban area has started expanding to the west and SR 86 is a primary link between the expanding urbanized area and downtown Tucson. SR 86 is experiencing a steadily increasing volume of commuter traffic between the developing residential areas to the west and the employment destinations in Tucson.