PHOENIX – As the Interstate 11 environmental study progresses and new proposed corridor alternatives have taken shape, the Arizona Department of Transportation is once again looking to the public and agencies to get involved and comment on the work that’s been done over the past year.

Six public meetings have been scheduled in May as part of ADOT’s commitment to study and get input on a 280-mile-long corridor stretching from Nogales to Wickenburg.

During the first year of this three-year study that began in March 2016, ADOT evaluated a wide range of alternatives ‒ or possible routes ‒ in order to narrow the choices to the recommended range of reasonable alternatives to be evaluated further in the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement. These alternative corridor options will be available for review and comment at the public meetings and during a 30-day public comment period.

The final set of corridor options, which will be determined after the public comment period, will be subject to further analysis as part of the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement. A no-build option will also be evaluated.

I-11 is envisioned as a multimodal corridor connecting Arizona with regional and international markets while opening up new opportunities for mobility, trade, commerce, job growth and economic competitiveness. While the planning phase for this high-priority corridor is well underway, funding for further studies, design and construction has yet to be identified.

“As we look to invest and prioritize needs to improve Arizona’s transportation infrastructure, we must begin with planning for the future and how to better connect people, communities and markets,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Our global competitiveness and high-paying jobs depend directly on our ability to move people, products and services quickly and efficiently throughout our state and beyond its borders. That’s why Interstate 11 is being considered as a critical component in Arizona’s freight and travel network.”

The alternative corridor options that will be presented for review were developed from several factors: input from last year’s public and agency scoping period, technical analysis, findings from previous studies, and public comment through emails, calls, mail and the study website.

The public comment period will begin on April 28. That’s when the latest study and meeting materials will be posted to the Interstate 11 website at i11study.com and an online mapping and comment tool will be activated. The comment period runs through June 2. The schedule for the six public meetings is here:

Tuesday, May 2

Arizona Riverpark Inn
777 W. Cushing St.
Tucson 

Wednesday, May 3

Marana Middle School – cafeteria
11285 W. Grier Road
Marana

Thursday, May 4

Nogales High School – cafeteria
1905 N. Apache Blvd.
Nogales

Wednesday, May 10

Dorothy Powell Senior Adult Center – dining room
405 E. Sixth St.
Casa Grande

Thursday, May 11

Wickenburg Community Center
160 N. Valentine St.
Wickenburg

Tuesday, May 16

Buckeye Community Center – multipurpose room
201 E. Centre Ave.
Buckeye

All meetings, which will have an open house format, run from 5 to 7 p.m., with presentations beginning at approximately 5:15 p.m. Following the presentations, study team members will be available to answer questions. The same information will be presented at each meeting.

The recommended I-11 corridor would likely follow US 93 from the Hoover Dam bypass bridge south to Wickenburg. The 280-mile corridor that is the focus of the current environmental study begins in Wickenburg and runs west of the Phoenix metropolitan area, south to the Tucson area and then to Nogales.

ADOT is currently developing an Alternatives Selection Report to assess the corridor alternatives and options, along with opportunities and constraints. A Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement will evaluate in greater detail a reasonable range of corridor alternatives, including segments that could advance to design or construction as independent improvements or projects. There will be a no-build alterative as well. The Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, which would include a preferred corridor alternative or the no-build option, and the Record of Decision are expected in 2019.

Throughout the course of the study, the public, communities and other stakeholders will always have the opportunity to comment and help shape the proposed I-11 corridor. All comments are entered into the project record. Comments can be sent to:

• Email: [email protected]
• Toll-free bilingual telephone hotline: 1.844.544.8049
• Mail:

Interstate 11 Tier 1 EIS Study Team

c/o ADOT Communications
1655 W. Jackson St., Mail Drop 126F
Phoenix, AZ 85007

For more information about the I-11 study, visit i11study.com/Arizona.  

PHOENIX – Over the past year, the Arizona Department of Transportation asked the public and agencies to share their ideas, comments and concerns about the Interstate 11 environmental study from Nogales to Wickenburg. A summary of comments is now available and will help ADOT select and evaluate corridor alternatives for further study.

Last summer, ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration held a 45-day scoping period as part of the National Environmental Policy Act process. ADOT received hundreds of comments from community members, tribal nations and agency representatives. The full Scoping Summary Report is now available in the Arizona section of i11study.com under the “Reports” tab.

Scoping is an early and important step in the environmental review process. During scoping, the public and agencies have an opportunity to provide input, which helps determine the “scope” or range of issues to be addressed in the environmental document, also referred to as the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement.

During scoping, ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration hosted three agency meetings and six public meetings in seven locations throughout the corridor study area. Approximately 600 people attended the June 2016 meetings.

ADOT received comments from 74 agencies and tribal governments during the scoping period, and another 834 comments came in from the public. All comments received during the 45-day scoping period are included in the appendices of the Scoping Summary Report.

Agencies provided comments with similar themes about the proposed Interstate 11, including consideration of existing and proposed local and regional transportation plans; the need to study opportunities that foster economic development; and the importance of protecting environmentally sensitive resources. Some agencies stated that they prefer freeway alternatives that build upon and improve existing roadway infrastructure, while others said they favor building an entirely new interstate freeway.

The public had similar comments, along with many others. A majority of the public comments came through an online survey and comment form. Of those 657 responses, community members noted that a new freeway like Interstate 11 could address transportation concerns, such as relieving regional congestion, improving travel time and reliability, improving freight travel and reliability, and reducing bottlenecks on existing freeways. Survey results and other comments can be found within the Scoping Summary Report .

All feedback received during the scoping process is being used by ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration as the two agencies identify potential Interstate 11 alternatives to be studied, impacts to be considered and evaluation methods to be used during the development of the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement.

In addition to the formal scoping period, ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration have spent a lot of time during the past year meeting and talking with the public, agencies, local and tribal governments, and partners about the ongoing Interstate 11 environmental study. Each discussion is an opportunity to hear what people have to say about the proposed interstate freeway that would run border-to-border throughout Arizona.

The next round of public involvement opportunities will take place in 2017, when ADOT presents a reasonable range of alternatives to be further studied. An evaluation of a “no-build” alternative, in which Interstate 11 would not be built, will also be considered.

For more information about the Interstate 11 environmental study and to subscribe for updates, visit i11study.com.

PHOENIX – The numbers speak volumes about Arizona’s interest in the proposed Interstate 11: Six public meetings held recently attracted 540 community members who shared comments and questions. Hundreds more offered their perspectives online.

The Arizona Department of Transportation’s Interstate 11 study team visited Casa Grande, Buckeye, Nogales, Tucson, Marana and Wickenburg to involve the community in a process known as public scoping, part of an environmental study to select a corridor alternative between Nogales and Wickenburg.

That had ADOT representatives answering questions, receiving feedback, and encouraging attendees to mark suggestions and concerns on maps of the 280-mile-long corridor study area.

“We’re excited about the high level of interest and engagement that we’ve seen,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “The great turnout and the opportunity for the public to tell us what’s important to them are critical to this process.”

No specific routes for I-11 have been chosen or favored at this early stage in the process. ADOT’s goal is having a selected corridor alternative in place at the end of the environmental study. A no-build alternative will be considered as well.

The next formal public involvement opportunity will begin early next year, when the study team will present possible routes for I-11.

In addition to those who attended the June meetings, 125 people submitted comment forms or surveys and 522 people completed an online survey during a 45-day comment period.

The study team, which also held scoping meetings in Phoenix, Casa Grande and Tucson with representatives of 21 federal, state and local agencies, will now analyze the feedback.

Anyone interested in sharing their views about the study can do so at any time throughout the study process. Information and materials, including a map of the corridor study area, are available at i11study.com/Arizona.

Comments can be provided via mail, email and voicemail:

• Email: [email protected]
• Toll-free bilingual telephone hotline: 1.844.544.8049
• Mail:

Interstate 11 Tier 1 EIS Study Team
c/o ADOT Communications
1655 W. Jackson St., Mail Drop 126F
Phoenix, AZ 85007

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is holding three public meetings this week in southern Arizona as part of a three-year environmental study for the proposed Interstate 11.

The meetings in Nogales, Tucson and Marana are part of the public scoping process for a corridor stretching from Nogales to Wickenburg.

Participants will be able to meet and talk with members of the study team to ask questions, provide comments and stay involved. They’ll also be able to view maps of the corridor study area and mark up those maps with their ideas and comments.

The meetings run from 4 to 6:30 p.m., with presentations beginning at approximately 4:15 p.m. The same information will be presented at each meeting. Earlier this month, meetings were held in Casa Grande and Buckeye. The final meeting will be held in Wickenburg.

Tuesday, June 21
Nogales High School – Cafeteria
1905 N. Apache Blvd.
Nogales

Wednesday, June 22
Arizona Riverpark Inn
777 W. Cushing St.
Tucson

Thursday, June 23
Marana Middle School – Gymnasium
11285 W. Grier Rd.
Marana

Wednesday, June 29
Wickenburg Community Center
160 N. Valentine St.
Wickenburg

Planned as much more than a highway, I-11 is envisioned as a multimodal corridor connecting Arizona with regional and international markets while opening up new opportunities for mobility, trade, job growth and economic competitiveness.

The recommended I-11 corridor would likely follow US 93 from the Hoover Dam bypass bridge south to Wickenburg. The 280-mile corridor that is the focus of the current environmental study begins in Wickenburg and runs west of the Phoenix metropolitan area and then south to the Tucson area and then Nogales.

The current 45-day comment period allows Arizonans to provide input on the I-11 study area. It’s an opportunity to ask questions and share comments about topics such as potential locations for the I-11 corridor, environmental considerations, impact on wildlife habitats or cultural resources, and possible opportunities for other transportation modes, such as rail, that may be considered.

Those interested in commenting on the study but who are unable to attend a public meeting are encouraged to visit the study website at i11study.com/Arizona and complete an online survey. All feedback, questions and comments will be considered part of the study, are entered into the project record and will help shape the proposed I-11 corridor. The public comment period runs until July 8.

In March, ADOT, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, launched the three-year study. It began with a process called pre-scoping that included meetings with federal, state and local governments, resource agencies and planning organizations within the study corridor.

During the next three years, ADOT will develop an Alternatives Selection Report to assess a wide range of corridor alternatives and options, along with opportunities and constraints. A Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement will evaluate in greater detail a smaller number of corridor alternatives, including segments that may advance as independent improvements or projects. There will be a no-build alterative as well.

Input from the public, communities and other stakeholders will contribute to these two reports, as well as a Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement that will list a selected corridor alternative.

In November 2014, the Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation completed a two-year feasibility study as the first step in the Interstate 11 process. In December 2015, Congress formally designated Interstate 11 from north to south in Arizona through the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. While the designation doesn’t include funding, it does make the corridor eligible for federal funding in the future.

The public, communities and other stakeholders will have opportunities to comment through regular meetings, community events and other forums throughout the course of the three-year study. Right now, comments can be sent to:

• Online survey: i11study.com/Arizona
• Email: [email protected]
• Toll-free bilingual telephone hotline: 1.844.544.8049
• Mail:

Interstate 11 Tier 1 EIS Study Team
c/o ADOT Communications
1655 W. Jackson St., Mail Drop 126F
Phoenix, AZ 85007

 For more information about the I-11 study, visit i11study.com/Arizona. 

PHOENIX – With six public meetings scheduled in June and an opportunity for the public to contribute in other ways, Arizonans can help shape the next step in planning for the proposed Interstate 11 as the Arizona Department of Transportation moves ahead on a three-year environmental study for a corridor stretching from Nogales to Wickenburg.

Planned as much more than a highway, I-11 is envisioned as a multimodal corridor connecting Arizona with regional and international markets while opening up new opportunities for mobility, trade, job growth and economic competitiveness.

ADOT has opened a 45-day comment period allowing Arizonans to provide input on the I-11 study area, a process known as public scoping. It’s an opportunity to ask questions and share comments about topics such as potential locations for the I-11 corridor, environmental considerations, impact on wildlife habitats or cultural resources, and possible opportunities for other transportation modes, such as rail, that may be considered.

“The progress on the Interstate 11 study shows ADOT’s commitment to establish a key border-to-border corridor and a trade route with Mexico that will continue our state’s efforts to boost commerce, job growth and economic development,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “We have the support of partner agencies throughout the study corridor who realize the benefits that I-11 can bring in terms of competitiveness, regional and global connections, and business opportunities through this new freight and travel route.”

The recommended I-11 corridor would likely follow US 93 from the Hoover Dam bypass bridge south to Wickenburg. The 280-mile corridor that is the focus of the current environmental study begins in Wickenburg and runs west of the Phoenix metropolitan area and then south to the Tucson area and then Nogales.

Publishing a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act, kicks off the formal environmental study process, as ADOT works to prepare a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement to select an I-11 corridor alternative between Nogales and Wickenburg.

Six public meetings are scheduled in the study area: 

Wednesday, June 8

Dorothy Powell Senior Adult Center – Dining Room
405 E. Sixth St.
Casa Grande

Wednesday, June 15

Buckeye Community Center – Multipurpose Room
201 E. Centre Ave.
Buckeye

Tuesday, June 21

Nogales High School – Cafeteria
1905 N. Apache Blvd.
Nogales

Wednesday, June 22

Arizona Riverpark Inn
777 W. Cushing St.
Tucson

Thursday, June 23

Marana Middle School – Gymnasium
11285 W. Grier Rd.
Marana

Wednesday, June 29

Wickenburg Community Center
160 N. Valentine St.
Wickenburg

All meetings run from 4 to 6:30 p.m., with presentations beginning at approximately 4:15 p.m. The same information will be presented at each meeting.

Those interested in commenting on the study but are unable to attend a public meeting are encouraged to visit the study website at i11study.com/Arizona and complete an online survey. All feedback, questions and comments will be considered part of the study, are entered into the project record and will help shape the proposed I-11 corridor.

In March, ADOT, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, launched the three-year study. Until now, a process called pre-scoping has included meetings with federal, state and local governments, resource agencies and planning organizations within the study corridor.

The first step in the study is developing an Alternatives Selection Report to assess a wide range of corridor alternatives and options, along with opportunities and constraints. A Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement will evaluate in greater detail a smaller number of corridor alternatives, including segments that may advance as independent improvements or projects. There will be a no-build alterative as well.

Input from the public, communities and other stakeholders will contribute to these two reports, as well as a Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement that will list a selected corridor alternative.

In November 2014, the Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation completed a two-year feasibility study as the first step in the Interstate 11 process. In December 2015, Congress formally designated Interstate 11 from north to south in Arizona through the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. While the designation doesn’t include funding, it does make the corridor eligible for federal funding in the future.

During the next three years, the public, communities and other stakeholders will have opportunities to comment through regular meetings, community events and other forums. Right now, comments can be sent to:

• Online survey: i11study.com/Arizona
• Email: [email protected]
• Toll-free bilingual telephone hotline: 1.844.544.8049
• Mail:

                 Interstate 11 Tier 1 EIS Study Team
                 c/o ADOT Communications
                1655 W. Jackson St., Mail Drop 126F
                Phoenix, AZ 85007

For more information about the I-11 study, visit i11study.com/Arizona.