Arizona State Freight Plan

The Arizona State Freight Plan updated in December 2022 establishes immediate and long-range plans for freight related transportation investments. More specifically, it identifies freight transportation facilities that are critical to the State’s economic growth and gives appropriate priority to investments in such facilities. The State Freight Plan defines investment priorities that will generate the greatest return for Arizona’s economy, while also addressing other key transportation system goals. The state’s transportation infrastructure supports Arizona’s economy by connecting production of goods to markets. Infrastructure that facilitates efficient movement of goods benefits Arizona businesses with lower transportation costs, faster service and increased reliability - fostering regional competitiveness and economic growth.

More than 60 freight industry representatives helped advise ADOT during the year-long development of the draft plan as part of ADOT’s Freight Advisory Committee (FAC). Based on the priorities developed in collaboration with the FAC, the study team identified a recommended list of projects to address freight bottlenecks and fulfill the plan goals of safety, mobility, competitiveness and stewardship. Approximately $125 million is available to Arizona in National Highway Freight Program funding for these proposed improvements. The previous plan was developed in 2017, the plan will be updated every four years.

Critical Urban and Rural Freight Corridor Networks

ADOT has released a draft plan recommending updates to the designations for the state’s critical urban and rural freight highway corridors, to make these highways eligible for funding through the National Highway Freight Program. The draft document is available for public review and comment through July 23, 2025.

Update to Arizona’s Critical Urban and Rural Freight Corridor Networks

The plan identifies high-and-medium priority segments of non-interstate roadways to be considered for inclusion as part of the 150 miles of Critical Urban Freight Corridors and 600 miles of Critical Rural Freight Corridors allocated to Arizona by the Federal Highway Administration.

Various factors were considered to prioritize the recommended critical freight corridors, including average daily truck traffic, connection to freight generators such as airports, rail lines and border crossings, as well as input from key stakeholders including the Arizona Trucking Association, metropolitan planning organizations, councils of governments and tribal nations.

ADOT will formally designate critical freight corridors as part of the State Freight Plan update scheduled to be adopted in 2026, which will prioritize projects along corridors identified for freight investments.

The public can provide comments on the draft plan through July 23, 2025, in the following ways: