PHOENIX – Governor Doug Ducey and state, local and federal officials today broke ground on a $134 million project to improve mobility and safety on a 3.75-mile Nogales highway. The project, once completed, will help increase international trade coming through Nogales by linking the Mariposa Port of Entry and Interstate 19.

The Arizona Department of Transportation’s upgrades along State Route 189, including flyover ramps connecting with the interstate, will eliminate the need for commercial trucks to stop as many as three times between I-19 and the international border as they travel to and from markets across Arizona and the U.S.

“We know that better roads mean a better future for Arizona,” said Governor Ducey. “The improvements along State Route 189 will improve safety, enhance trade and foster an even stronger relationship with our neighbors in Mexico. With record trade already with Mexico, my thanks to the Arizona Department of Transportation, our partners in Mexico and everyone working to improve our infrastructure and attract even more trade through our ports.”

The Mariposa Port of Entry saw about $24.1 billion in imports and exports in 2018, including much of the winter produce consumed in the U.S. Up to 1,800 commercial trucks use SR 189 daily during the winter months.

Governor Ducey hosted officials at a groundbreaking event near the interchange of I-19 and SR 189, known locally as Mariposa Road. Construction is expected to begin in April and take about 18 months to complete.

A $25 million appropriation by the state of Arizona as well as a highly competitive $25 million federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant will allow ADOT to build the entire project at once, rather than in two phases. The expedited timeline will result in a savings of $13 million.

The project also will benefit Nogales residents and businesses by reducing congestion on one of the community’s primary roads.

“Moving large commercial trucks to the new flyover ramps will not only benefit the trucking industry but will improve traffic flow and make Mariposa Road safer for all,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said.

The flyover ramps, which will connect with SR 189 west of Frank Reed Road, will increase safety for students of nearby Nogales High School. The project also includes a new roundabout at Target Range Road and improved drainage and traffic signals, among other improvements.

Local officials touted the project’s importance not just for Nogales and Santa Cruz County but all of Arizona.

“During my first administration in 2011 we talked about ways to improve State Route 189, and now it’s real,” Nogales Mayor Arturo Garino said. “This is a very good project that is important for the city of Nogales and for the entire state of Arizona economically.”

Bruce Bracker, a Santa Cruz County supervisor, called the improvements critical for the continued growth of the region.

"The modernization of SR 189 will greatly help with congestion along the corridor and address major safety concerns, particularly with the grade-separation that will provide a safer environment for the high school traffic and traffic in general,” Bracker said. “It is critical that we promote this project and attract new investment and create new jobs in our community."

Jaime Chamberlain, chairman of the Greater Nogales Santa Cruz County Port Authority and former chairman of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, said the work will support improvements to the Mariposa Port of Entry completed in 2014.

“This project also leverages the investment made by the Mexican government to modernize Highway 15, the highway that connects Arizona to Mexico City,” Chamberlain said. “This is a major investment for Nogales and for Arizona. The future is bright for our community.”

Ames Construction and Horrocks Engineers are the contractors on the project, with Ames leading construction and Horrocks leading design.

To learn more about the project, please visit azdot.gov/SR189. 

PHOENIX – With construction approaching on State Route 189 improvements in Nogales, an open house this week provides an opportunity to learn more about the $134 million project.

The Arizona Department of Transportation will hold an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Nogales High School, 1905 N. Apache Blvd. The project team will make a short presentation and then be available to provide information.

Improvements along the 3.75-mile route, including flyover ramps connecting SR 189 and Interstate 19, an overpass at Frank Reed Road and a roundabout at Target Range Road, are scheduled to take approximately 18 months.

The improvements are intended to improve international commerce by creating a smoother connection to and from I-19, reduce congestion on SR 189 (Mariposa Road) and increase safety for drivers and pedestrians in the area near Nogales High School.

The work is funded in part by a $25 million investment by the Arizona Legislature and a $25 million federal TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant.

For more information, please visit azdot.gov/sr189.

PHOENIX ‒ Widening the last two stretches of Interstate 10 between Casa Grande and Tucson that remain two lanes in each direction. Opening a modern Ina Road traffic interchange with Interstate 10 in Marana. Launching a major upgrade to State Route 189, the 3.75-mile Nogales highway essential to trade with Mexico.

These are just some of the Arizona Department of Transportation projects finishing or starting in 2019 that are designed to make travel safer and more efficient in southern Arizona.

Four major projects that received a great deal of attention in 2018 are scheduled for completion this year:

• 
  A new I-10 interchange is on track to open this spring carrying Ina Road traffic over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and greatly improving mobility and safety in a growing area northwest of Tucson. This $128 million project also is widening Ina Road to two lanes in each direction from I-10 west over new bridges crossing the Santa Cruz River, with full project completion expected this summer.
• Crews will finish widening 4 miles of I-10 in Casa Grande between Earley Road and Interstate 8. This $43 million project, scheduled for completion by late summer, includes replacing the original bridges over Jimmie Kerr Boulevard to accommodate three lanes in each direction.
• Between Eloy and Picacho, crews are scheduled to complete a $72 million project widening 4 miles of I-10 to three lanes in each direction by creating new travel lanes. The improvements include a new State Route 87 interchange and a first-of-its-kind dust detection zone on 10 miles of I-10 to provide drivers with crucial safety information during dust storms. Completion is scheduled for late summer.
• A $55 million overpass that will carry State Route 347 traffic over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Maricopa is scheduled for completion by the end of 2019.

Design work is set to begin by June on the largest project of 2019: a $134 million upgrade of State Route 189, which connects the Mariposa Port of Entry with Interstate 19 in Nogales and carries a large share of produce entering the United States. Planned upgrades include flyover ramps to make a smoother transition between SR 189 and I-19 and a bridge over Frank Reed Road that will improve safety near Nogales High School. The two-year project is expected to be completed in 2021.

In Tucson, construction is scheduled begin this summer on a new interchange at I-10 at Ruthrauff Road. The $101 million, two-year project will be similar to interchange improvements at Ina and Prince roads.

Other major projects expected to begin in 2019 include replacing the 70-year-old Pinto Creek Bridge on US 60 east of Superior and repaving a 7-mile section of State Route 95 north of Parker. Bidding for the Pinto Creek work will take place early this year, while paving on SR 95 began earlier this month and is expected to continue until fall.

For more information on these projects, please visit azdot.gov/projects.

PHOENIX – Support from Nogales, Santa Cruz County, state leaders and federal officials will allow the Arizona Department of Transportation to begin work in less than a year on dramatic improvements to State Route 189, the 3.75-mile Nogales highway vital to international commerce.

In approving the annual update to ADOT’s Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program on Friday, the Arizona State Transportation Board endorsed ADOT’s recommendation to move forward with a $134 million project that will include flyover routes connecting both northbound and southbound lanes of SR 189 (Mariposa Road) with Interstate 19.

While the previous five-year program had funding for the first phase of the project, including a flyover ramp connecting northbound SR 189 and northbound I-19, the program approved Friday has funding for the entire project envisioned for the highway.

“Thanks to the leadership and vision of Governor Doug Ducey, state lawmakers, the Arizona-Mexico Commission, members of Congress and leaders in Nogales and Santa Cruz County, we will be able to move forward with all of these improvements that are critical to Arizona’s economy,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “A State Route 189 that can better support international trade will make Nogales, Santa Cruz County and Arizona better places to live and do business.”

Building the entire project at one time, which will save about $13 million, is possible because of funding from a variety of local, state and federal sources.

Nogales, Santa Cruz County and ADOT have agreed to contribute half of their revenue from overweight permits that trucking companies purchase when their loads exceed 80,000 pounds, usually with winter produce. That will raise about $3 million per year for the next 15 years. Sharing revenue from the permits is allowed under legislation signed into law this year by Governor Ducey.

Arizona received a $25 million federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant earlier this year. A $25 million appropriation approved by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Governor Ducey allowed ADOT to begin construction in 2019, two years earlier than originally planned.

In addition to the flyover ramps connecting SR 189 and I-19, the project will include a bridge over Frank Reed Road as well as roadway and intersection improvements. For more information on the project, visit azdot.gov/SR189.

In November, the Federal Highway Administration cleared the way for work to begin with a Finding of No Significant Impact based on ADOT’s environmental studies for the project.

Among the busiest land ports in the United States, the Mariposa Port of Entry is the gateway for a majority of the winter produce consumed each year across the country along with billions of dollars in other goods.

A hub for trade between Arizona and Mexico, the port accounts for more than $8 billion in exports and $7.2 billion in imports, and is directly responsible for more than 100,000 Arizona jobs. As many as 3,000 trucks a day enter the U.S. through the port during the busy winter produce season.

In 2014, the federal government completed a $225 million project to expand the Mariposa Port of Entry to accommodate more commercial vehicles. ADOT built a new truck safety inspection station adjacent to the new port in 2014.

NOGALES – The Federal Highway Administration has cleared the way for the Arizona Department of Transportation to begin design and construction of vital improvements to State Route 189, the 3.75-mile roadway connecting the Mariposa Port of Entry with Interstate 19 in Nogales.

The federal agency has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact based upon ADOT’s environmental studies for the project, which includes a flyover ramp connecting northbound SR 189 with northbound I-19. The final environmental assessment can be found on the project website: azdot.gov/sr189.

Work is scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2019.

“After years of working closely with the community on this environmental study, we’re moving forward with the first phase of improvements that will benefit Nogales and international commerce for many years to come,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said.

The plans approved by the Finding of No Significant Impact incorporate agency and public comments received during a public meeting in January and throughout the comment period. They include intersection improvements between Target Range Road and Grand Avenue and a wider roadway in addition to the northbound flyover ramp.

About 80 percent of goods entering Arizona from Mexico come through Mariposa, one of the nation’s busiest land ports of entry. It’s about a mile west of the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry, where most individuals cross the border in Nogales.

A $25 million appropriation passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Governor Doug Ducey aimed at accelerating the project has made it possible for work to start two years earlier than originally planned. In addition, $40 million in federal funds will go toward SR 189 improvements.

ADOT continues working with the community on ways to fund additional improvements, including a flyover ramp connecting southbound I-19 with SR 189. Funding isn’t currently available for those improvements, estimated to cost up to $75 million.

ADOT recently applied for a $25 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant as a way to move forward with additional improvements.

In 2014, ADOT completed $1.5 million in improvements to the SR 189 corridor that included synchronized signal timing and improvements at the SR 189 interchange with I-19. In 2012, ADOT received a Best Use of Innovation Award from America’s Transportation Awards for a project using technology to speed up processing of trucks crossing the border.

NOGALES ‒ The Arizona Department of Transportation has applied for a $25 million federal TIGER grant to allow construction of all proposed improvements to State Route 189 in Nogales at the same time, beginning in 2019.

The $25 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant would go toward construction of a southbound flyover ramp at Interstate 19 in addition to the northbound flyover ramp that’s currently funded, as well as a bridge over Frank Reed Road and other improvements to the 3.75-mile route connecting the Mariposa Port of Entry with I-19.

“ADOT is committed to working creatively with the community to accelerate State Route 189 improvements and better support trade between the U.S. and Mexico,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Seeking this TIGER grant is one way we’re seeking to move forward sooner with all proposed enhancements to a route vital to international commerce and to the community of Nogales.”

ADOT currently has funding for the first phase the project, which includes a flyover ramp connecting northbound SR 189 and northbound I-19, along with other improvements. A $25 million commitment from the Arizona Legislature signed by Governor Doug Ducey allowed ADOT to begin construction in 2019, two years earlier than originally planned.

Funding isn’t currently identified for Phase Two, which would include the southbound flyover ramps and a bridge that would carry SR 189 over Frank Reed Road, which leads to Nogales High School. ADOT, Nogales and Santa Cruz County are coordinating efforts on a partnership that could include funding for the Phase Two work.

By allowing construction of both phases to begin at the same time, the TIGER grant would reduce the estimated cost of the full project from $147 million to $134 million.

A $15 million TIGER grant is helping to fund work on the SR 347 bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Maricopa, which will begin in November. Another TIGER grant of $21.6 million went toward the rehabilitation of Virgin River Bridge No. 6 on Interstate 15 in far northwestern Arizona.

Since 2009, Congress has dedicated nearly $5.1 billion in TIGER grants to fund projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a region or a metropolitan area. 

NOGALES – A public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 31, is a chance for the community to review and comment on the Draft Environmental Assessment for a project to improve State Route 189 between the international border, Interstate 19 and Grand Avenue. 

Scheduled for 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Nogales High School, 1905 N. Apache Blvd., the hearing begins with a presentation at 5:45 p.m., followed by a formal comment period.

Public input is essential to this environmental assessment, which is part of the review process required by the federal government and details the need for the project, proposed alternatives including a no-build option, environmental impacts and recommendations.

The Draft Environmental Assessment is available on ADOT’s website at azdot.gov/SR189DraftEA. Printed copies are available at Nogales City Hall, 777 N. Grand Ave., and the Nogales/Santa Cruz County Public Library, 518 N. Grand Ave.

Comments, which will be accepted until Feb. 14, can be provided at the hearing, through the ADOT website (azdot.gov/SR189DraftEA) or by mail to 1655 W. Jackson St., Mail Drop 126F, Phoenix, AZ 85007.

Investments proposed for SR 189, including a flyover ramp to northbound I-19, are intended to significantly improve the 3.75-mile highway for Nogales residents, commercial vehicles and personal travelers, and enhance safety and reduce congestion for many years to come. Other work proposed includes adding a raised median along SR 189 and improving intersections with Grand Avenue and Target Range Road.

A $25 million appropriation passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Governor Doug Ducey aimed at accelerating this project has made it possible for work to start in 2019, two years earlier than originally planned. In addition, $40 million in federal funds will go toward SR 189 improvements.

While moving toward the start of this project, ADOT continues to seek funding for additional improvements to SR 189, including a new ramp for traffic on southbound I-19 to enter southbound SR 189. Those improvements are estimated to cost $75 million.