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.

PHOENIX – The Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation have extended the date for providing online feedback on the latest Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study results.

Those interested in providing feedback on the Level 2 Analysis now have one more week to do so. The comment period on this particular analysis will close on March 7. So far, the study team has received more than 700 comments about the Level 2 Analysis, which was recently completed by the study team. Those interested in providing input will be able to view a narrated presentation about the current status of the study and then submit comments online.

While online feedback for this phase of the study is being accepted for one more week at i11study.com, general comments about the I-11 study can be submitted at any time via the project website on the “Get Involved” page.

The two 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 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.

Since last fall, the study team has explored the universe of alternatives for potential routes from Mexico to northern Nevada. That broad range of possible corridor alternatives underwent an initial evaluation and screening process by the study team in October. An additional level of analysis — the Level 2 Analysis — was recently conducted for the Phoenix to Las Vegas segment of the corridor. The current online feedback opportunity allows the public to view the results of this recent analysis and provide feedback prior to the study moving forward. Those interested in participating should visit the project website at i11study.com.  

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 this study.

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

PHOENIX – The Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation are hosting an online opportunity through the month of February for anyone interested in providing feedback on the latest Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study results.

Today a public feedback period is being launched at www.i11study.com to provide an opportunity to comment on the Level 2 Analysis, which was recently completed by the study team. Those interested in providing input will be able to view a narrated presentation about the current status of the study and then submit comments online.

The two 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 a possible interstate link between the Phoenix and Las Vegas metropolitan areas, along with high-level visioning for potentially extending the corridor north to Canada and south to Mexico. Congress designated the future I-11 corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas as part of the latest surface transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). 

Since last fall, the study team has explored the universe of alternatives for potential routes from Mexico to northern Nevada. That broad range of possible corridor alternatives underwent an initial evaluation and screening process by the study team in October. An additional level of analysis — the Level 2 Analysis — was recently conducted for the congressionally designated portion of the corridor that would connect Phoenix and Las Vegas. This month’s online feedback opportunity will allow the public to view the results of this recent analysis and provide feedback prior to the study moving forward. Those interested in participating should visit the project website at www.i11study.com.  

Online feedback for this phase of the study is being accepted through the end of February. However, comments about the I-11 study can be submitted at any time via the project website on the “Get Involved” page.

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 this study.

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

PHOENIX – The Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation will host a series of five public meetings this month to present the range of alternatives under consideration for the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor and provide the results of the preliminary analysis.

The two transportation departments have been working together for more than a year on the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study, which includes detailed corridor planning of a possible high-priority interstate link between the Phoenix and Las Vegas metropolitan areas, along with high-level visioning for potentially extending the corridor north to Canada and south to Mexico.

Since July, the study team has completed the Corridor Justification Report and has explored the universe of alternatives for potential routes from Mexico to northern Nevada. That broad range of possible corridor alternatives recently underwent an evaluation and screening process by the study team, based on criteria endorsed by stakeholders to narrow down the number of alternatives recommended for further analysis. The October meetings will allow the public to view the recommended alternatives from that initial screening prior to the study moving forward.

Each of the five public meetings will focus on a specific segment of the proposed I-11 and Intermountain West Corridor. The meetings will begin at 5:30 p.m. local time with an open house, followed by a presentation at 6 p.m. The meetings are as follows:

• Phoenix Metropolitan Area: Oct. 8 at the Avondale City Council Chambers: 11465 W. Civic Center Drive in Avondale, AZ
• Northern Arizona: Oct. 9 at the Mohave County Public Works Building, Turquoise Room: 3715 Sunshine Drive in Kingman, AZ
• Southern Arizona: Oct. 10 at the Pascua Yaqui Reservation’s Albert J. Garcia Auditorium: 7777 S. Camino Huivism in Tucson, AZ
• Northern Nevada: Oct. 16 at the Carson City Community Center, Bonanza Room: 851 E. William St. in Carson City, NV
• Las Vegas Metropolitan Area: Oct. 17 at the NDOT District I Main Training Room: 123 E. Washington St. in Las Vegas, NV

Comments can be submitted at any of the public meetings or via the website at www.i11study.com on the “Get Involved” page.

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 next 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 this study.

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