ADOT

Resuming travel this winter? Make sure you ‘Know Snow’

Resuming travel this winter? Make sure you ‘Know Snow’

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Resuming travel this winter? Make sure you ‘Know Snow’

Resuming travel this winter? Make sure you ‘Know Snow’

November 16, 2021

Cooler temperatures are around the corner and that means snow in Arizona’s high country. To help travelers this winter, the Arizona Department of Transportation has partnered with the National Weather Service to create graphics that use their color code for storm severity to better inform drivers of what to expect from winter storms.

Orange is a moderate-impact snowstorm. With this type of storm, drivers should slow down when roads are slick with snow and ice and prepare to spend longer on the road. Leave extra room behind the vehicle ahead. Red is a high-impact snowstorm. In this scenario, drivers should avoid travel if possible. If delay is not possible, strongly consider using 4x4 or snow chains and prepare to spend extended amounts of time in the vehicle. Purple is an extreme-impact storm with 2 to 3 inches of snowfall per hour. Drivers should avoid travel altogether during this type of storm due to dangerous travel conditions.

In each case, drivers should pack an emergency kit that includes blankets, warm clothing, a fully charged cell phone, food and water, medication and sand or kitty litter.

ADOT will use these graphics on its social media accounts to help drivers know what intensity of snowstorm to expect so drivers can make informed decisions about travel. ADOT’s Twitter account @ArizonaDOT and Facebook page facebook.com/AZDOT provide real-time information and interaction.

Drivers can also check road conditions by calling 511 or visiting az511.gov. And the free ADOT Alerts app available at azdot.gov/ADOTAlerts will send critical information, including alternate routes, should snow and ice close a major highway.

ADOT is also ready to help keep highways clear of snow and ice this winter with its fleet of 200 snowplows. Many of these plows include auxiliary cab heaters to keep drivers warm while not idling and wasting fuel; heated windshields to prevent wipers from freezing and getting stuck; backup cameras and a camera and laser guidance system to help guide operators; state-of-the-art lighting packages, and front flex plows that can bend in different configurations to remove snow.

If you come across a snowplow working to clear the road, always help out the plow driver by staying back until the driver pulls over to let traffic pass. Also, never assume a snowplow operator knows your vehicle is nearby. If you can’t see the plow driver, there’s a good chance the driver can’t see you.

Check out more safety tips before resuming your travels this winter season by visiting azdot.gov/KnowSnow

ADOT Selects final Sonoran Corridor route in Pima County

ADOT Selects final Sonoran Corridor route in Pima County

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT Selects final Sonoran Corridor route in Pima County

ADOT Selects final Sonoran Corridor route in Pima County

November 5, 2021

Following several years of study, technical analysis and input from communities and stakeholders, the Arizona Department of Transportation has selected a final 20.47 mile corridor through Pima County.

Following several years of study, technical analysis and input from communities and stakeholders, the Arizona Department of Transportation has selected a final 20.47 mile corridor through Pima County. The Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD), which was released Friday, Nov. 5, identifies the selected corridor, which stretches between Interstates 19 and 10, south of the Tucson International Airport in Pima County. 

A continuous, access-controlled transportation corridor between I-19 and I-10 would:

  • Improve access to future activity centers
  • Improve regional mobility
  • Improve connectivity
  • Integrate the region’s transportation network
  • Address existing and future population and economic growth
  • Provide an alternative to avoid congestion on I-10 and I-19 

The combined Tier 1 Final EIS/ROD, along with its supporting documentation, is available on the study’s website at azdot.gov/sonorancorridor. In addition, hard copies of the combined Tier 1 Final EIS/ROD document are also available for viewing at the following locations during normal business hours: 

Southcentral District Office - 1221 S. 2nd St. Tucson. Please call to make an appointment. Phone: 520.388.4200

Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave. Tucson, AZ 85701 520.594.5500

Joyner-Green Valley Library, 601 N. La Canada Dr. Green Valley. Phone:  520.594.5295

Sahuarita Town Clerk’s Office, 375 W. Sahuarita Center Way. Phone: 520.822-8801

Subsequent Tier 2 environmental and engineering studies would need to be conducted as part of the NEPA process to further refine the selected 1,500-foot Sonoran Corridor to identify a recommended 400-foot freeway alignment and identify planned interchange locations and other project elements. 

The Final Tier 1 EIS includes a phased implementation plan with preliminary recommendations for how the Sonoran Corridor could move forward into Tier 2 studies. The phased implementation plan includes smaller segments of the selected corridor alternative that may advance as separate, independent projects. These studies, which are not yet funded, would include additional analysis and more opportunities for public review and comment.

For more information about the Sonoran Corridor Study or to view the project fact sheet, please visit  azdot.gov/sonorancorridor

General comments or questions about the study can be submitted to ADOT through the following methods:

Online: azdot.gov/sonorancorridor

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1.855.712.8530

Mail: c/o ADOT Communications – Sonoran Corridor, 1221 S. 2nd Ave. Tucson, AZ 85713

 

ADOT, Willcox seeking input on downtown freight traffic options

ADOT, Willcox seeking input on downtown freight traffic options

I-17 101 traffic interchange

ADOT, Willcox seeking input on downtown freight traffic options

ADOT, Willcox seeking input on downtown freight traffic options

November 1, 2021

The Arizona Department of Transportation and the city of Willcox are asking for the public’s feedback through the end of November on two potential traffic circulation changes to reduce the impact of freight traffic while improving safety in downtown Willcox.

The two options were identified as part of an ongoing traffic circulation study and public feedback from a community survey conducted in August 2021. The study looked at current and projected heavy truck traffic that flows between Interstate 10 and the industrial area on the southeast side of the city. Currently, the only way for heavy trucks to get between those areas is along State Route 186 through downtown Willcox, creating congestion and slowing the movement of freight.

After evaluating six possible alternatives to improve traffic flow and safety, ADOT identified two preferred alternatives for further evaluation and has begun a second community survey that runs through Tuesday, Nov. 30. Public input will help ADOT determine whether to move forward with either of the options or to make no changes. This analysis is in the study phase and no funding has been allocated for construction. This analysis is in the study phase and no funding has been allocated for construction.

The options are:

An interim, short-term project that would modify Haskell Avenue (Business 10) at the intersection with Maley Street (SR 186) to remove the left-turn lanes to provide more space for trucks to turn. Left turns would instead be made from one lane that is shared by through traffic, left turns and right turns. This option would also eliminate the existing traffic signal and convert the intersection into a four-way stop.

A longer-term solution that would construct a new bypass roadway east of downtown Willcox. The road would link Maley Street at 2nd Avenue to Haskell Avenue at Rex Allen Drive, including a new at-grade railroad crossing.

The public can find the community survey at /planning/transportation-studies/willcox-circulation-study. A paper version is available at the following locations during regular business hours:

Willcox City Hall, 101 S. Railroad Ave. B

Elsie S. Hogan Community Library, 100 N. Curtis Ave.

The survey is available in both English and Spanish. All comments must be received by Tuesday, Nov. 30.

 

I-17 Improvement Project advances with developer agreement

I-17 Improvement Project advances with developer agreement

I-17 101 traffic interchange

I-17 Improvement Project advances with developer agreement

I-17 Improvement Project advances with developer agreement

October 28, 2021

The Arizona Department of Transportation has signed an agreement with the developer team that will design, build, operate and maintain the Interstate 17 Improvement Project from Anthem Way to Sunset Point. 

The total project cost is $445,940,000, which includes the construction cost by the developer team, along with ADOT’s cost to administer the project. 

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2022 and is expected to take approximately three years. Now that the contract is signed, work can begin on this highly anticipated project that will include 15 miles of widening from Anthem Way to Black Canyon City and eight miles of flex lanes from Black Canyon City to Sunset Point.

The developer team is Kiewit-Fann Joint Venture. Key members of the team include Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.; Fann Contracting Inc.; Kiewit Engineering Group Inc.; DBI Services LLC; CONSOR Engineers LLC dba Apex Design; T.Y. Lin International; Lee Engineering; Terracon Consultants Inc.; Wheat Design Group, Inc.; Y2K Engineering; and Pinyon Environmental Inc.

The KFJV developer team was selected over two other finalists after an extensive review by ADOT with oversight from representatives from the Federal Highway Administration and the Maricopa Association of Governments. All three developer team finalists were encouraged to use innovation and develop alternative concepts to reduce project time and impacts to the traveling public and community while construction is underway.

Interstate 17 between Anthem Way and Sunset Point is a major stretch of highway that sees more than one million travelers every year. Because much of that travel and congestion occur on weekends, ADOT and the KFJV developer team will limit most of the lane closures to weeknights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. All motorists still need to be cautious and alert in the construction zone, which will be active seven days a week. 

Once complete, the I-17 Improvement Project will help alleviate congestion and improve safety and traffic flow north of the metro-Phoenix region. This project will improve 23 miles of I-17, including 15 miles of roadway widening, two bridge replacements, one bridge deck replacement, 10 bridge widenings, and the installation of an eight-mile flex lane system—a new feature  for Arizona’s highway system. Flex lanes are proven technology to help reduce congestion on I-17 during peak travel times and allow for traffic movement during emergency situations. 

The I-17 flex lanes will operate as a separate, two-lane roadway carrying one direction of traffic at a time depending on the greatest need along the steep, winding eight miles between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point. For example, the flex lanes will be able to carry heavy northbound traffic on a Friday or heavy southbound traffic on a Sunday. Similarly, ADOT will be able to open the flex lanes to accommodate traffic any time if a crash or other incident causes long delays. The flex lanes will be next to, but physically separated from southbound I-17 using concrete barriers. Access to the flex-lane entrances will be controlled by gates.   

In February, Governor Ducey announced $40 million in funding for the I-17 Improvement Project from higher-than-anticipated revenue amid Arizona’s strong economic recovery and federal COVID-relief funds. Additional project funding sources include:

$130 million of state highway funds appropriated by the state legislature in 2019

$90 million from an Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant

$50 million programmed by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) for the Maricopa County portion of this project

$135.9 million from federal aid with matching state highway funds. That includes $83.6 million approved by the Arizona State Transportation Board on Oct. 15, clearing the way for construction to begin in 2022. 

For more information about the I-17 Improvement Project, visit azdot.gov/i17-anthem-way-to-sunset-point

 

Arizona Highways Magazine again glitters with awards of gold, silver and bronze

Arizona Highways Magazine again glitters with awards of gold, silver and bronze

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Arizona Highways Magazine again glitters with awards of gold, silver and bronze

Arizona Highways Magazine again glitters with awards of gold, silver and bronze

October 14, 2021

The accolades keep rolling in for Arizona Highways. The magazine published by the Arizona Department of Transportation has earned more recognition for its excellence in design, visuals, outstanding writing and production.

In its annual awards program, the International Regional Magazine Association (IRMA) awarded Arizona Highways a total of 22 honors in categories including excellence in feature writing, photography, art direction, Writer of the Year, Photographer of the Year, among others. 

This is the seventh straight year that Arizona Highways has received at least 16 IRMA awards. 

“Arizona is known for its unique beauty, robust and diverse mixture of colorful personalities and incredible stories that we are privileged to bring to the world every month,” said Kelly Mero, Publisher of Arizona Highways. 

“The real stars are the state and its people, and they make it possible for us to receive awards like these. They deserve this recognition as do the talented people inside and outside of ADOT who collaborate to make Arizona Highways come alive every month.”

IRMA is a nonprofit association of 25 regional magazines from across North America. This is the 41st annual awards competition, and entries are judged by a panel of magazine industry experts from outside of IRMA. 

Arizona Highways received the following awards:

 

Gold award winners:

Profiles: Meet the Master | September 2020 | Kelly Vaughn

Column: August 2020, December 2020, March 2021 | Robert Stieve

Single Photo: Navajo Dancer | May 2020 | Mylo Fowler

Portrait Photo: Greg Wildman | January 2021 | Joel Grimes

Portrait Series: I Just Want to Go Home | May 2020 | David Zickl

Magazine Photographer of the Year: Jack Dykinga

 

Silver award winners: 

Public Issues: At the End of Their Ropes | January 2021 | Noah Austin

Historic Feature: The Exodus Trail | May 2020 | Annette McGivney

Nature and Environment Feature: Ho, Ho, Ho … Green Giants | March 2021 | Tyler Williams

Essay: Breathing Space | July 2020 | Craig Childs

Photo Series: The Evolution of Landscape Photography | April  2020 | Edited by Jess Kida 

Illustration: The Exodus Trail | May 2020 | Davide Bonazzi

Special Focus: The Great Escapes | July 2020

Cover: May 2020

 

Bronze award winners: 

Travel Feature: A Trip to Remember | August  2020 | Willis Peterson

General Feature: Salvage Operation | March 2021 | Annette McGivney

Headline and Dek: Beadlemania | November  2020 | Robert Stieve

Art Direction SIngle Story: There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills | October 2020 | Keith Whitney

Magazine Writer of the Year: Kelly Vaughn

Travel Package: The Great Escapes | July 2020 | Edited by Robert Stieve

 

Award of Merit:

Art and Culture Feature: The Fruits of Her Labor | May 2020  | Kelly Vaughn

Recreation: In for a Bumpy Ride | June 2020 | Chel Knorr

 

Founded in 1925, Arizona Highways is dedicated to promoting travel to and through the state of Arizona. In addition to the world-renowned magazine known for spectacular landscape photography, Arizona Highways publishes travel guide books, calendars and other products to promote travel in Arizona. The magazine has subscribers in all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

Learn more at arizonahighways.com and irmamagazines.com/

Adopt a Highway: Volunteers collect tons of trash from Arizona highways

Adopt a Highway: Volunteers collect tons of trash from Arizona highways

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Adopt a Highway: Volunteers collect tons of trash from Arizona highways

Adopt a Highway: Volunteers collect tons of trash from Arizona highways

September 23, 2021

Arizona Department of Transportation volunteers answered the call to participate on National CleanUp Day, Sept. 18, by removing more than 150 bags, or 2,053 pounds of trash from alongside Arizona’s highways. 

Forty groups from all corners of the state: Page, Yuma, Concho, Vernon, Show Low, Prescott, Chino Valley, Congress, Kingman, Lake Havasu City, Tucson, Bouse, Claypool, Sahuarita and Bullhead City, registered with ADOT for the event on the Adopt a Highway website. 

Adopt a Highway Program Manager Mary Currie said, “It’s a win for communities and the state of Arizona. One-day permits offer volunteers a way to explore one type of volunteer work among many, and to be a part of the litter solution. They get first hand experience on the process for adopting and how to conduct a litter cleanup safely. Our experience has been that some of these groups decide to complete the adoption for two-years and become regular caregivers of their segment”. 

More than half of the groups registering for the cleanup were new volunteers interested in participating for one day rather than a two-year adoption.

Every day Adopt a Highway program volunteers are giving back to Arizona somewhere in the state. ADOT strives to make it safe and as easy as possible for them to continue volunteering.  

These individual volunteers made a positive impact for drivers on the state highway system by removing all types of litter, including: cigarette butts, plastic bags and bottles, aluminum cans, and other unsightly trash. Car bumpers and refrigerator doors were also found along the way. A very dangerous type of trash for travelers.

Michele Michelson and her group of eight volunteers opted for a one-day permit to help clean up SR 89A in Prescott Valley. “We are all very proud to be here in this beautiful sunshine to keep the county, the town and our state clean. I saw ADOT’s post on facebook and registered. Here we are and we’ll do it again. Who doesn’t want to keep their community clean. Thank you ADOT for offering this opportunity.”

In return for a two-year permit and a sign recognizing their group’s segment, Adopt a Highway volunteers agree to:

Adopt a minimum of two miles of state highway

Always wear Federal Highway Administration required ANSI Class II Safety vests

Read a safety brief and watch a safety video before each cleanup

Contact ADOT before cleaning up their sections

File an activity report after each cleanup, telling ADOT how many bags of litter was collected

Clean their sections at least once and preferably three or more times per year

Motorists can support Adopt a Highway volunteers by slowing down where people are picking up litter and always driving with extra caution and care. 

To learn more about ADOT’s Adopt a Highway volunteer program, please visit azdot.gov/adoptahighway.

From professor to bridge designer

From professor to bridge designer

SR24-1

From professor to bridge designer

From professor to bridge designer

Kathy Cline/ADOT Communications
September 21, 2021

Struts, blueprints and girders filled her daydreams ... and Afrin Hossain has turned them into reality as one of ADOT's newest bridge designers!

New ADOT bridge designer Afrin HossainBorn in Bangladesh, Hossain's interest in bridge design came early, thanks to her father who served as a civil engineer in the country's roadway department.

"Seeing my father work," Hossaid said, "seeing the blueprints he brought home, and seeing his shoe filled with asphalt after a busy construction day is what inspired me to get my undergraduate degree in structural engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology." While there, Hossain studied structures like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. "The more I got to know about these structures the more I fascinated I became with them," she said.

Another influence and inspiration was fellow countryman and high-rise-design innovator Fazlur Rahman Khan.  Khan pioneered many improvements in skyscraper and high-rise design. He designed the former Sears Tower in Chicago. He was also an early trailblazer in computer-aided design, as well. "As a Bangladeshi, I also wanted to design and build just like him," Hossain said.

Hossain eventually earned a doctorate while in Canada in structural engineering and presented her work and research in many countries. The travel gave Hossain opportunities to see structures such as the Eiffel Tower in France and the Astoria-Megler Bridge in Oregon. It was the U.S. highways and bridges, however, that inspired her the most. 

"Living in the States for approximately three years, helped me gain a new appreciation for roadway infrastructures," she said. "Here, in the U.S., roadways, bridges (George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Golden Gate, other bridges in Portland, and Pittsburgh etc.), tunnels (Holland, Lincoln, Chesapeake Beach etc.), retaining walls, noise bearing walls, ramps, interchanges, nested exits - all just amazed me."

Hossain decided to settle in Arizona, and began teaching other eager students at Northern Arizona University about engineering and working with materials like steel, concrete and timber. Her enthusiasm and teaching experience helped Hossain land a job at ADOT ‒ despite the pandemic and other challenges.

What's next? Hossain says she's looking forward to designing smart hybrid bridges incorporating concrete, steel and timber. "Whenever, I drive on Arizona roadways, I always pay a close attention to infrastructure details," she says.

"I am passionate about designing irrespective of the kind of the structure: building, bridges, roadways, foundations, etc. I envision myself not only just designing but also seeing my design be built."

Litter push removes 11,000 pounds of roadside garbage in Tucson region

Litter push removes 11,000 pounds of roadside garbage in Tucson region

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Litter push removes 11,000 pounds of roadside garbage in Tucson region

Litter push removes 11,000 pounds of roadside garbage in Tucson region

August 25, 2021

Interstate 10 on south side is a hotspot for littering

TUCSON - In an unprecedented push to remove roadside garbage and debris, 42 Arizona Department of Transportation employees from southern Arizona were recently able to pick up 11,000 pounds of trash and bulk items.

ADOT personnel from Casa Grande, Coolidge, Nogales, Oracle, Three Points, Tucson, and St. David cleaned up a stretch of Interstate 10 from Rita Rd. to Kino Blvd.; a distance of about 11 miles. This portion of the highway is a hot spot for roadside garbage and debris and the cleanup required approximately half of the available ADOT South Central District maintenance staff. 

“We did this because of an overwhelming amount of roadside garbage and debris on ADOT right-of-way,” said Highway Operations Supervisor Fernando Murrietta. “The problem isn’t just how much litter there is, but how it gets there. People throw trash from their vehicle and it’s ADOT crews who live and work in southern Arizona who pick it up. We are part of the solution because we’re cleaning up other peoples’ messes.  Things would be much better if people would be more respectful of the environment.”

Maintenance personnel are available to perform cleanup duties as part of their ongoing work, but their primary responsibility is safety-related work such as guardrail repair, pavement maintenance, right-of-way fence repair to keep livestock off roadways and other similar jobs. 

In addition to ADOT employees, trash cleanups are conducted by volunteer groups as well as state prison inmate crews. Inmate crews have not been available due to COVID-19 restrictions in prison complexes, but are now beginning to return to roadside duties. 

For more information about the ADOT Adopt a Highway program: azdot.gov

 

Motorists planning travel in and around Flagstaff should plan for I-40 restrictions

Motorists planning travel in and around Flagstaff should plan for I-40 restrictions

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Motorists planning travel in and around Flagstaff should plan for I-40 restrictions

Motorists planning travel in and around Flagstaff should plan for I-40 restrictions

July 21, 2021

Drivers in northern Arizona should prepare for traffic shifts and lane restrictions on Interstate 40 at Exit 191 in west Flagstaff as crews continue project work to replace a bridge, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. 

This location is approximately three miles west of the I-40 interchange with Interstate 17. 

Eastbound I-40 will be reduced to one lane and traffic shifted to the north side of the roadway beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, July 23. A similar shift will occur on Friday, July 29 for the westbound lanes. In addition, there will be a 15-foot vehicle width limit in place and the speed limit will be reduced to 55 mph. These restrictions will be in place through mid-fall this year. 

Ongoing restrictions at this location include the closure of the on- and off-ramps as well as the crossroad under the bridge. 

The project is scheduled to be completed in fall 2022. 

Interstate 11 Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement available for public review

Interstate 11 Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement available for public review

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Interstate 11 Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement available for public review

Interstate 11 Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement available for public review

July 16, 2021

The Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for the 280-mile Interstate 11 study corridor – stretching from Nogales to Wickenburg – is now available for public review. 

After five years of study, technical analysis and input from communities and stakeholders, this publication of the I-11 Final Tier 1 EIS marks a milestone for the proposed corridor.

The Final Tier 1 EIS, including a Preliminary Section 4(f) Evaluation, is available at i11study.com/Arizona/index.asp.

The website also lists locations throughout the study area where a hard copy of the Final Tier 1 EIS is available for review. The 30-day public review period runs through the close of business on Monday, Aug. 16. For information on how to submit a comment, visit the Contact Us page on the study website. That link is here: i11study.com/Arizona/ContactUs.asp.

Prepared by the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, the Final Tier 1 EIS was completed in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. It outlines the Preferred Corridor Alternative, including a parallel analysis of the No-Build Alternative.

The Final Tier 1 EIS focuses on the 2,000-foot-wide Preferred Corridor Alternative and the changes that were made since the publication of the 2,000-foot-wide Recommended Corridor Alternative in the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement in April 2019.

The Final Tier 1 EIS document is presented in a condensed format that avoids repetition of material from the Draft Tier 1 EIS. The Final Tier 1 EIS is a much shorter document, references the Draft Tier 1 EIS, and includes a complete overview of the project and its impacts on the environment. ADOT and FHWA decided to use the condensed format, in part, to streamline complex information as requested by several cooperating and participating agencies.

In addition to the Final Tier 1 EIS document that will be posted online and available as a hard copy document at designated repository locations, an Interactive EIS will also be available on the I-11 study website: i11study.com/Arizona/index.asp. This is the first time that ADOT has published an Interactive EIS. It contains the same information as the traditional Final Tier 1 EIS document in an interactive and engaging format. 

ADOT and FHWA listened to and read every public comment submitted during the Tier 1 study. The study team gave consideration to comments from the public and stakeholders during the Draft Tier 1 EIS 90-day public comment period from April 5, 2019 through July 8, 2019. ADOT and FHWA made changes to the corridor after the Draft Tier 1 EIS public comment process was complete. Appendix H of the Final Tier 1 EIS documents the comments received on the Draft Tier 1 EIS and provides responses to those comments. Appendix H can be found here: i11study.com/Arizona/Documents.asp.

The process to develop a Preferred Corridor Alternative for the Final Tier 1 EIS included technical analysis; coordination with study partners such as cooperating agencies, participating agencies and tribal governments; and the review and consideration of public input received at study milestones.

Once the 30-day public review period is complete for the Final Tier 1 EIS, ADOT and FHWA will work toward a Record of Decision (ROD). That document, which is scheduled to be published in late 2021, will identify a Selected Corridor Alternative or the No-Build Option. The ROD marks the end of the Tier 1 EIS process.

If a build corridor is selected at the end of the Tier 1 study, further Tier 2 studies and evaluations must take place before construction could be considered. The corridor would be narrowed to a highway alignment, which is about 400 feet wide. An alignment determining where I-11 could be built would be decided during a future phase of design and environmental studies. Currently there are no plans or funding available to initiate these Tier 2 studies.

The proposed I-11 is envisioned as a multi-use corridor that would provide a connection from Mexico to the Hoover Dam, connecting with I-11 in Nevada. This proposed statewide highway would improve Arizona’s access to regional and international markets while opening up new opportunities for enhanced travel, mobility, trade, commerce, job growth and economic competitiveness. While the evaluation phase of this high-priority and high-capacity transportation corridor has begun, funding for further studies, design and construction has not been identified.

In 2015, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act, formally designated I-11 in Arizona. The designation doesn’t include funding but identifies I-11 as a high-priority corridor eligible for federal funding. I-11 is envisioned to include a combination of new and existing roadways.

For more information about I-11 and the Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, visit i11study.com/Arizona/index.asp.