PHOENIX – In a move to ensure that the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study continues to move forward, the State Transportation Board approved the next step in the process and the funding to make it happen.

Today the board took action to approve $15 million for the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, which would allow the Arizona Department of Transportation to begin an environmental study in the area between Nogales and Wickenburg, part of the proposed corridor for Interstate 11. The Tier 1 EIS is expected to take three years to complete and will begin in 2015.

Interstate 11, once fully constructed, will connect Nogales and Las Vegas, extending north through Nevada, potentially reaching as far as Canada.

“Interstate 11 is a key transportation corridor to ensure our state’s competitiveness, economic growth and opportunity for all Arizonans,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “Now that the two-year feasibility study is complete, we must keep the momentum going and move to the next phase, which is the necessary environmental work. These are the first steps in developing a new multimodal freight corridor and a manufacturing belt that will drive trade, commerce, job growth and economic development while facilitating Arizona’s strong connections to major regional and international markets.”

The $15 million in funding for the environmental study will come from the 2015-2019 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program.

In October, the board reviewed and accepted the recommendations documented in the Corridor Concept Report, the final element in the initial two-year feasibility study. The report, along with all the study’s documents and information, can be found at i11study.com.

The recommended I-11 corridor would likely follow US 93 from the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge south to Wickenburg, running west of the Phoenix metropolitan area, through the Tucson area to Nogales and the Mexican border. I-11 is envisioned as a continuous high-capacity trade corridor extending from Nogales to Las Vegas and potentially north toward Canada. The corridor will support a high proportion of large-scale manufacturing operations and focus on the reliable movement of freight traffic. As a multimodal corridor, I-11 also has the potential to include freight and passenger rail, energy transmission and other high-tech facilities.

PHOENIX — More than two years ago, Arizona and Nevada set out on a study to determine the possibilities and benefits of developing a new interstate corridor to connect Phoenix and Las Vegas, while extending south to Mexico and north through Nevada, potentially reaching as far as Canada.

The goal of the study was not just to find a way to directly connect these two major metropolitan areas by building a new highway, but to develop a plan and the necessary infrastructure to position the two states for broader success in the global marketplace.

The Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study is now complete and points to the need for a new multimodal freight corridor and a manufacturing belt that will drive trade, commerce, job growth and economic development for the two states and facilitate strong connections to other major regional markets.

“Transportation is a primary driver of commerce, jobs and tourism,” said Governor Jan Brewer. “This is why Interstate 11 is such a critical investment in our future, as it opens new possibilities for our state while connecting communities and economies.”

Today the State Transportation Board reviewed and accepted the recommendations documented in the Corridor Concept Report, the final element in this initial two-year feasibility study. This report, along with all the study’s documents and information, can be found at i11study.com.

“Interstate 11 represents one of those major corridors that would provide access to international markets to the north and south of Arizona and to the east and west of us,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “I-11 is part of our plan for Arizona’s Key Commerce Corridors, which requires investment in our transportation infrastructure to ensure the necessary connectivity to other major markets. Arizona’s global competitiveness depends directly on our ability to move people, products and services quickly and efficiently. We need our highway corridors to get us there.”

The recommended I-11 corridor would likely follow US 93 from the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge south to Wickenburg, running west of the Phoenix metropolitan area, and then generally following I-10 and I-19 through southern Arizona to the Mexican border. I-11 is envisioned as a continuous high-capacity trade corridor extending from Nogales to Las Vegas and potentially north toward Canada that will support a high proportion of large-scale manufacturing operations located throughout the corridor with a major focus on reliable movement of freight traffic. As a multimodal corridor, it also has the potential to include freight and passenger rail, energy transmission and other high-tech facilities.

There is currently no schedule or funding to build Interstate 11. The next phase of the study process — the environmental impact statement — is also not funded.

For more information about the Interstate 11 study, visit i11study.com. 

PHOENIX – As the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study nears completion, the Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation are encouraging community members to provide their input on the draft Corridor Concept Report by July 18.

It’s easy to provide feedback through a virtual public meeting set up at i11study.com. All the meeting materials are provided online, including a narrated presentation and a comment form.

Three public meetings were held in June and the month-long online virtual meeting launched on June 18 to gather comments for the draft Corridor Concept Report, a document that will outline the vision for the I-11 corridor, reinforce the justification for building a new multiuse interstate corridor and define an implementation plan to move the project forward.

The two state transportation departments have been working together since the summer of 2012 on the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study, which includes detailed corridor planning of an interstate link connecting the Phoenix and Las Vegas metropolitan areas, while extending the corridor through southern Arizona to Mexico and potentially north to Canada.

The Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study is a two‐year, multiphase, high‐level study examining the feasibility, benefits, opportunities and constraints of a proposed new interstate highway corridor. The study is expected to be completed this summer. Funding to construct this new corridor has not been identified. In addition to the Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation, other study partners are the Maricopa Association of Governments, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Railroad Administration.

For more information about the I‐11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study and to sign up for updates, visit i11study.com.

PHOENIX – As the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study advances, it continues to gain attention from lawmakers in the nation’s capital. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and Department of Transportation Director John S. Halikowski today expressed appreciation for the efforts of U.S. Senator John McCain and U.S. Senator Jeff Flake to propose an amendment expressing the “sense of the Congress” in support of the proposed Interstate 11.

The proposed amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2015 expresses support for I-11 based on “significant enhancement for the western United States” for commerce, tourism, international trade, economic vitality and competitiveness on the global stage. In addition, the proposed amendment supports extending I-11 south to the international border with Mexico and north to the Canadian border.

The proposal lends support to an initiative led by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer to study and construct I-11 as a critical economic link for Arizona and the Intermountain West region. Governor Brewer has been a strong advocate for the benefits of I-11, and has worked to focus attention on the proposed corridor.

“Not only will Interstate 11 create jobs in Arizona and Nevada, it also will integrate and increase the global competitiveness of the entire Southwest region,” said Governor Brewer. “I am very pleased to see strong bipartisan support at the local, state and federal level of this significant economic initiative.”

Halikowski expressed appreciation for the attention given to I-11 by lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

“As a corridor creating a stronger connection between Arizona and international markets, in addition to forging a more reliable, safer route between Phoenix and Las Vegas, Interstate 11 has benefits for the entire region,” he said. “ADOT appreciates the support of Senators McCain and Flake in highlighting the critical need for I-11 as a driver for continued economic expansion in the Intermountain West region. It is through leadership like this that we can continue looking forward, assessing our current and future needs and how to raise the funding to support those needs.”

In addition to Senators McCain and Flake, the amendment is supported by Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.).

The Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation have been working together since 2012 on the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study, which includes detailed corridor planning of an interstate link connecting the Phoenix and Las Vegas metropolitan areas, while extending the corridor through southern Arizona to Mexico and potentially north to Canada. Congress designated the future I-11 corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas as part of the current surface transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).

The Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study is a two‐year, multiphase, high‐level study examining the feasibility, benefits, opportunities and constraints of a proposed new interstate highway corridor. The study is expected to be completed this summer. Funding to construct this new corridor has not been identified.

Public meetings for the study are scheduled for June 25 from 6-8 p.m. in the Phoenix area and on June 26 from 4-7 p.m. in Las Vegas. A public meeting in Tucson was held on Wednesday. Through July 18, the public can also participate in a virtual meeting, reviewing the latest project information and providing feedback online. This month-long virtual meeting will be hosted on the project website, i11study.com.

For more information about the I‐11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study and to sign up for updates, visit i11study.com.

PHOENIX – Two years ago, the Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation launched a study to determine the feasibility of building a new multimodal interstate corridor linking Phoenix and Las Vegas, while stretching south to Mexico and potentially north to Canada. That study is now nearing completion and will include one more opportunity for the public to get involved and provide comments.

Three public meetings and a month-long online virtual meeting are scheduled for the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study to gather comments for the draft Corridor Concept Report, a document that will outline the vision for the corridor, reinforce the justification for building a new multiuse interstate corridor and define an implementation plan to move this project forward.

The Corridor Concept Report and the supporting technical reports and work products will determine whether sufficient justification exists for a new multimodal transportation corridor. It will also establish potential alternatives for the new I-11 and Intermountain West Corridor. The report will outline four chapters: the need for a high-capacity, multimodal corridor to link economies; corridor alignment recommendations that link metro areas and connect communities; the economic value of investment in the corridor; and a call to action, emphasizing the need for continued collaboration to move the I-11 and Intermountain West Corridor forward.

Three public meetings will be held during the month of June:

Tucson Area
June 18, 6 to 8 p.m. (presentation begins at 6:30 p.m.)
Tucson Electric Power Community Room: 88 E. Broadway Blvd. in Tucson

Phoenix Area
June 25, 6 to 8 p.m. (presentation begins at 6:30 p.m.)
Palo Verde Energy Education Center: 600 N. Airport Road in Buckeye

Las Vegas Area
June 26, 4 to 7 p.m. (presentation begins at 5:30 p.m.)
Fifth Street Historical School: 401 S. Fourth St. in Las Vegas

Virtual Public Meeting
From June 18 through July 18, the public can also participate in a virtual meeting, reviewing the latest project information and providing feedback online. This month-long virtual meeting will be hosted on the project website, i11study.com.

ADOT and NDOT have been working together since the summer of 2012 on the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study, which includes detailed corridor planning of an interstate link connecting the Phoenix and Las Vegas metropolitan areas, while extending the corridor through southern Arizona to Mexico and potentially north to Canada. Congress designated the future I-11 corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas as part of the current surface transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).

The Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study is a two‐year, multiphase, high‐level study examining the feasibility, benefits, opportunities and constraints of a proposed new interstate highway corridor. The study is expected to be completed this summer. Funding to construct this new corridor has not been identified. In addition to the Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation, other study partners are the Maricopa Association of Governments, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Railroad Administration.

For more information about the I‐11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study and to sign up for updates, visit i11study.com.

PHOENIX — In an effort to stay competitive in the global market, the Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking nearly $70 million in federal discretionary grants for projects that will drive Arizona’s economy, while promoting interstate commerce and trade with Mexico.

ADOT submitted three federal grant applications in the sixth round of the federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants last week. All three critical projects would create a substantial number of jobs for Arizonans, while ensuring Arizona remains a vital trading corridor with its port neighbors to the west (Long Beach and Los Angeles) and the south (Mexico).

ADOT is seeking $35 million for a rural/urban highway planning grant for the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study Environmental Impact Statement, which would facilitate the necessary environmental assessments for this Key Commerce Corridor — a corridor that is expected to bring enormous economic and safety benefits for Arizona’s communities, tourists and commerce connections.

Other 2014 projects for TIGER grant consideration include $24.5 million to rehabilitate a bridge approaching the Virgin River Gorge on Interstate 15 in Mohave County in the northwest corner of Arizona between the Nevada and Utah state lines. While most Arizonans have never driven on this remote stretch of highway, I-15 is critical to California, Nevada and Utah as a freight corridor.

ADOT also submitted a $9.5 million grant to improve Arizona-California border crossing times at the Ehrenberg Port of Entry on Interstate 10 in La Paz County. The upgraded port of entry will ensure safer travel on state roadways through enforcement of state and federal size, weight and safety regulations for commercial vehicles.

Since 2009, Congress has dedicated more than $4.1 billion in TIGER grant funding for road, rail, transit and port projects, including $600 million for the current fiscal year, which is available to all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

During the first five rounds of the TIGER program, which began in 2009, Arizona has received funding for three projects.

In 2013, the Port of Tucson received a $5 million grant in the fifth round of TIGER funding to provide higher speed access between the Union Pacific mainline and the Port of Tucson’s International Intermodal yard.

In 2012, ADOT successfully secured a $21.6 million grant to improve Virgin River Gorge Bridge No. 6 on I-15 (milepost 16) in the fourth round of TIGER funding. That rehabilitation project is the first of the eight bridges along the I-15 corridor that has been identified for repair. The $27 million project launched this spring and is slated to take up to two years to complete.

In 2010, the Tucson won federal funding for a $63 million modern streetcar project during the first round of TIGER grants.

The following are the projects that ADOT submitted for TIGER grant consideration this year:

• I-11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study ($35 million grant; total cost $60 million): Although the Corridor Concept Report is expected to be released this summer to finalize the purpose and need, corridor recommendations and implementation requirements for the I-11 and Intermountain West Corridor, no funding sources have been identified for carrying out the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, including an Environmental Impact Statement. ADOT is seeking TIGER grant funding to develop the environmental document for this critical corridor that would run from border to border in Arizona. The environmental report would analyze potential infrastructure investments along the I‑11 and Intermountain West Corridor in Arizona to improve north-to-south mobility in the state, enhance trade corridors, and connect rural communities to jobs, schools and employment centers. The corridor would be more than 400 miles long, passing through rural and urban areas of Arizona.

• I-15 Virgin River Bridge No. 1 ($24.5 million grant; total cost $35 million): This I-15 bridge (milepost 10) is located in the Virgin River Gorge and serves as a vital link between the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and beyond. The bridge, built in 1964, is rated as “structurally deficient,” meaning it is safe, but requires repair or improvement. While most Arizonans have never driven on this remote 29-mile stretch of highway, it is a critical commercial trade route in North America used by more than 1.4 million trucks annually. Closures or even restrictions to this route would result in detours of 250 miles for heavier trucks, and nearly 600 miles for the triple-trailer combinations. The rehabilitation project would include the replacement of the bridge’s superstructure (girders, deck and railings), as well as widening the narrow roadway.

• I-10/Ehrenberg Port of Entry Improvements, Phase II ($9.5 million grant; total cost $13.6 million): The project would reconstruct the facility, which was built in 1976, and provide an effective electronic screening system to better facilitate the safe movement of commercial truck traffic into Arizona. The port of entry is located in western Arizona along I-10, approximately three miles from the California state line. As one of the nation’s primary transportation corridors, I-10 provides a safe and expeditious route for commercial truck traffic to deliver goods from international sea ports in Southern California to Arizona and across the nation. The project is being built in two phases. The first phase is expected to start late this year.

TIGER grants are awarded to transportation projects that have a significant national or regional impact. Projects are chosen for their ability to contribute to the long-term economic competitiveness of the nation, improve the condition of existing transportation facilities and systems, increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve the safety of U.S. transportation facilities, and enhance the quality of living and working environments of communities through increased transportation choices and connections. The U.S. Department of Transportation gives priority to projects that are expected to create and preserve jobs and stimulate increases in economic activity.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is expected to announce the recipients of the Fiscal Year 2014 TIGER grants later this year.

PHOENIX – They are just signs, but they say a lot.

New highway signs marking the future I-11 corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas have been installed by the Arizona Department of Transportation along US 93, a likely route for the proposed interstate. Four of the “Future I-11 Corridor” signs have been installed leading to the Hoover Dam Bypass bridge, which was constructed in 2010 to interstate-highway standards.

“I-11 will serve a vital role in commerce and trade, not only for Arizona and Nevada but for the country and neighboring nations. Equally important, it will connect the two biggest cities in the United States without an interstate between them: Phoenix and Las Vegas,” Arizona Governor Jan Brewer said at a March 21 event unveiling the new signs. “I-11 will be the first direct trade route from western Mexico to Canada through our two great states. We know transportation is a primary driver of commerce and tourism – and we should continually seek to enhance our economic competiveness. By facilitating the movement of goods and people through a direct Mexico-to-Canada interstate, I-11 will pay dividends in fostering this crucial mission and boosting important international partnerships.”

The 2012 federal transportation bill designated the I-11 corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas. Efforts are ongoing to secure the same recognition – and perhaps some preliminarily funding – for segments stretching south to Mexico and north toward Canada.

“Ultimately, I-11 will be more than a route connecting communities. It will be a transportation corridor linking economies to generate prosperity for the region,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “In Arizona, we are focusing on our state’s Key Commerce Corridors. Interstate 11 is part of the mix. The longest concrete arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere, named in memory of Mike O’Callaghan and Pat Tillman, is ready and waiting to be the backbone of the I-11 Corridor.”

The Arizona and Nevada transportation departments have been working since 2012 on the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study, which includes detailed corridor planning of an interstate link between the Phoenix and Las Vegas metropolitan areas, and an extension of the corridor that would run through southern Arizona to Mexico and north through Nevada toward Canada.

The Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study is a two‐year, multiphase, high‐level study examining the feasibility, benefits, opportunities and constraints of a proposed new interstate highway corridor. This initial study is expected to be completed later this year. Funding to construct a potential corridor has not been identified. In addition to the Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation, the Maricopa Association of Governments, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Railroad Administration are partners in the study.

For more information about the I‐11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study, visit i11study.com.