NOGALES – A project to make it easier for ever-increasing international commerce to move through Nogales will begin in 2019, two years ahead of schedule, under changes approved by the Arizona State Transportation Board. 

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

The project will improve a 3.75-mile section of State Route 189 in Nogales and build a flyover ramp connecting SR 189 to northbound Interstate 19. It includes work between the Mariposa Port of Entry and Grand Avenue, including the interchange at I-19.

The Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales is among the nation’s busiest, serving as the gateway for most of the winter produce entering the U.S. and as a major hub for trade between Arizona and Mexico, estimated at $30 billion annually.

“Mexico is Arizona’s largest international trading partner, and improving how trade moves along this critical route in Nogales will help grow Arizona’s economy,” Governor Doug Ducey said. “Getting this work started sooner is another way Arizona is moving at the speed of business.”

The plans for SR 189, known locally as Mariposa Road, also include:

• widening the exit ramp from southbound I-19 to SR 189;
• a raised median along SR 189;
• and improvements at the intersections with Grand Avenue and at Target Range Road.  

“These improvements to SR 189 are essential because the Mariposa Port of Entry is one of the busiest ports along the U.S.-Mexico border,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “SR 189 may be one of the shortest routes on the state’s highway system, but it is one of the most critical when it comes to commerce and trade.”

At their Sept. 16 meeting in Bullhead City, members of the State Transportation Board encouraged ADOT staff to look for ways to pay for additional improvements to SR 189, including a new ramp for traffic on southbound I-19 to enter southbound SR 189. Funding for those improvements, estimated to cost up to $75 million, isn’t currently available.

One option is a public-private partnership similar to the one being used to build the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway in Phoenix. Under that approach, ADOT would have additional options for building the remaining improvements, including bundling both phases into a single job and adding a long-term maintenance program to better manage ongoing costs.

“We understand that these improvements are crucial not only to Nogales and Santa Cruz County but to the trade industry and the Arizona economy,” Halikowski said. “We’re aggressively looking into potential funding sources, which may include local, state, federal and private sources.”

Upgrading SR 189 will be the latest of several efforts to improve transportation infrastructure and processes connected to the Mariposa Port of Entry. In 2014, ADOT completed $1.5 million in improvements to the SR 189 corridor that included synchronized signal timing and upgrading the interchange with I-19.

In 2012, ADOT received a Best Use of Innovation Award from America’s Transportation Awards for a project that brought new technology to speed up the processing of trucks crossing the border, improving traffic flow and processing capability.

PHOENIX ‒ The State Transportation Board’s approval of funding for State Route 189 in Nogales reflects the Arizona Department of Transportation’s strong commitment to improving the flow of commercial traffic between the Mariposa Port of Entry and Interstate 19.

The board recently approved $70 million for improvements to SR 189 as part of the agency’s new five-year construction program for state highways. This includes $2 million in preliminary engineering work, $4 million in design work and $64 million for construction in fiscal year 2021, though an appropriation in the state budget approved this year is aimed at moving up the start of construction to fiscal 2019.

“This investment speaks to the importance of the commerce traveling on State Route 189 not only for Nogales but Arizona’s economy as a whole,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “We’ve listened to the concerns and suggestions of the community, and we’ll continue to study the options available and ways to accelerate improvements.”

Ranking among the busiest land ports in the United States, the Mariposa Port of Entry is the gateway for a majority of the winter produce that is consumed each year across the country along with billions of dollars in other goods. It’s also a major hub for trade between Arizona and Mexico, estimated at $30 billion annually.

ADOT led a five-year environmental study and public involvement process to develop a plan for the 3.75-mile SR 189, leading to the selection of a recommended alternative and a public hearing later this summer.

Further investments in SR 189 are possible through annual updates to ADOT’s five-year construction program depending on assessed need and the availability of funding.

The fiscal year 2017 state budget includes $25 million intended to accelerate the project’s start to fiscal 2019, and ADOT has applied for a $25 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant for SR 189. If the TIGER grant application is successful, the $25 million in state budget funds set aside to accelerate the SR 189 project may be reallocated to another project in ADOT’s statewide construction program.

PHOENIX ‒ Improving traffic flow and safety on Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson. Helping commerce move on a state route between the border and Interstate 19 in Nogales. Rehabilitating an 850-foot-long bridge along Interstate 15 in northwestern Arizona.

Aiming to move forward sooner on those goals, the Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking $109.5 million through two highly competitive federal grant programs.

With $800 million available through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s FASTLANE grant program, established under the 2015 FAST Act, ADOT has applied for $60 million and offered to provide $86.83 million in matching funds to be used in four ways along I-10 between the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas:

• Realigning and widening four miles in the Picacho area to three lanes in each direction while reconstructing the interchange with State Route 87.
• Widening four miles between Earley Road and Interstate 8 to three lanes in each direction while upgrading ramps at Jimmie Kerr Boulevard near Casa Grande.
• Making technology enhancements to improve traffic management and safety, including remote sensors to provide early warning of approaching dust.
• Conducting preliminary engineering and completing an environmental analysis for widening 27 miles of I-10 to three lanes in each direction between the Loop 202 Santan Freeway and approximately SR 387 in Casa Grande. Any plan to widen I-10 through the Gila River Indian Community would require an agreement with the tribal government.

“The impact of Interstate 10 on Arizona’s citizens and economy is huge. Improvements to this vital link between Phoenix and Tucson are critical to our quality of life,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Each element of the FASTLANE grant proposal will advance these efforts to continue improving I-10 and significantly benefit motorists and the flow of commerce.”

Meanwhile, ADOT has submitted Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant proposals for two projects:

• $25 million, with a proposed $39 million state match, to improve the 3.75-mile State Route 189 (Mariposa Road) in Nogales. Proposed upgrades to the route, which connects the Mariposa Port of Entry with Interstate 19 and Interstate Business 19/Grand Avenue, include a raised median and improving ramps connecting with I-19.
• $24.5 million, with a proposed $10.5 million state match, to rehabilitate Virgin River Bridge No. 1 on Interstate 15. Built in 1964 and located just east of Littlefield in the far northwestern corner of Arizona, the bridge has never undergone a major rehabilitation.

Both TIGER grant projects and the two I-10 construction projects in the FASTLANE grant are already part of ADOT’s plans, both through its current construction program and the Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program that’s receiving public input and awaiting a vote by the State Transportation Board.

For Virgin River Bridge No. 1, $33 million in construction funding is programmed for fiscal 2019. For SR 189, ADOT has recommended $64 million in fiscal 2021 for construction. For the I-10 projects, ADOT has recommended $85 million in fiscal 2018 for the Picacho area and $40 million in fiscal 2019 for Earley Road to I-8.

Winning grants would allow these projects to move forward faster and enable ADOT to redirect money toward other pressing needs.

“There are no guarantees when it comes to competitive grants, but success pays big dividends for Arizona,” Halikowski said.

Since 2012, ADOT has received a total of $43.6 million through 15 competitive grants, most of them administered by U.S. DOT. Much of that amount comes from TIGER grants for a planned railroad overpass on State Route 347 in Maricopa and the ongoing reconstruction of Virgin River Bridge No. 6 on I-15.

There will be plenty of competition from other states for FASTLANE and TIGER grants. For fiscal 2015, when ADOT won a $15 million grant toward the SR 347 project, U.S. DOT received 627 eligible applications worth $10.1 billion for the $500 million available. About $500 million is available in the current round of TIGER grants.

U.S. DOT is expected to announce awards from both grant programs later this year.

PHOENIX — In an effort to enhance safety at one of the busiest ports of entry in the nation, the Arizona Department of Transportation is building a new pedestrian underpass on State Route 189 (Mariposa Road) that will allow pedestrians to safely travel to and from the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales.

Traffic on State Route 189 (Mariposa Road) will be stopped intermittently at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales on Wednesday, July 15, and Thursday, July 16, from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for survey activities.

Currently, there is no separation between commercial truck and pedestrian traffic at the port of entry within the state right-of-way. The highway serves as a bypass route for truck traffic to and from Mexico.

ADOT will construct a 356-foot-long, 10-by-10 concrete box culvert underneath SR 189 that will include ventilation structures and lighting. Other improvements include new sidewalks, traffic signals and storm drain improvements.

At less than four miles long, SR 189 in Nogales is one of the shortest routes on the state’s highway system, but it is a critical component of Arizona’s Key Commerce Corridors that facilitates international trade and commerce due to its close proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border.

The $3.3 million improvement project is expected to be completed in December 2015.

To stay up to date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at az511.gov or call 511; outside of Arizona dial 1.888.411.ROAD (7623).

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation, in a partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, is hosting a public meeting in Nogales on Tuesday, Nov. 18 to provide an update on the State Route 189: International Border to Grand Avenue Study.

Beginning in 2011, ADOT began an engineering and environmental study for SR 189, also known locally as Mariposa Road, to develop a long-range plan for future improvements between the U.S.-Mexico border and Grand Avenue.

At less than four miles long, SR 189 in Nogales is one of the shortest routes on the state’s highway system, but it is one of the most critical when it comes to commerce and trade due to its close proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border.

In addition, the Mariposa Port of Entry, one of the busiest cargo ports along the U.S.-Mexico border, has recently been expanded and increased travel demand along the route is anticipated.

The public is invited to attend the meeting to learn more about the study and provide comments.

The Nov. 18 public meeting is from 5:30-7:30 p.m. (5:45 p.m. presentation start) at the Mary L. Welty Elementary School in the cafeteria/multipurpose room, 1050 W. Cimarron St.

In order for potential SR 189 improvement projects to move forward, they would need to be added to ADOT’s Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program. This Five-Year Program serves as a blueprint for future projects and designates how much local, state and federal funding is allocated for those projects. A potential project goes through several levels of review to become part of the Tentative Five-Year Program before the program is presented to the State Transportation Board for consideration and formal approval.

ADOT is accepting public comments on the State Route 189 study through Dec. 2, 2014. Comments can be submitted to [email protected].

PHOENIX — At less than four miles long, State Route 189 in Nogales is one of the shortest routes on the state’s highway system, but it is one of the most critical when it comes to commerce and trade due to its close proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border.

The highway serves as a bypass route for commercial truck traffic to and from Mexico. Much of the produce that comes through Nogales ends up making its way throughout Arizona and the rest of the country. It’s an essential corridor and it’s only going to get busier, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Traffic volumes are expected to spike in the future, now that the Mariposa Port of Entry, one of the busiest cargo ports along the U.S.-Mexico border, is nearing the completion of a four-year, $225 million reconstruction and modernization project in 2014. For instance, the port of entry currently processes between 1,200 and 2,400 trucks per day and this number is expected to climb to 3,000 trucks by 2014.

With additional traffic on a roadway that is already congested, ADOT is exploring options for a new or expanded highway to handle the increased volume of traffic.

Beginning in early 2011, shortly after the federal government accelerated the Mariposa Port of Entry project after receiving American Recovery and Recovery Act funds, ADOT began evaluating long-term improvements to the SR 189 (locally known as Mariposa Road) corridor.  

ADOT, along with the Federal Highway Administration, launched an engineering and environmental study for the SR 189 corridor. The goal of the study was to evaluate alternatives to handle the projected increased volume of traffic and relieve congestion on SR 189. Initial estimates range from $50 to $215 million to complete the improvements.

While no funding has been identified to pay for any of the long-term improvements at this time, ADOT understands the improvements are critical to Nogales and the trade industry, and is looking into potential funding sources, which may include local, state, federal and Public-Private Partnerships (P3).

The agency is moving forward with some interim improvements that will begin this fall. The work is expected to accommodate the additional truck traffic expected following the completion of the Mariposa Port of Entry.

This week, ADOT launched a $1.5 million project that includes signal timing synchronization at the Interstate 19 interchange and throughout the entire SR 189 corridor. The upgraded traffic signal system, which uses a microwave technology to interconnect to the traffic signal controllers, will share traffic data in real time. The signals will continuously adapt to traffic demands, thus reducing congestion and travel times along the corridor.

Additional enhancements include the construction of dual eastbound left-turn lanes at the SR 189 to northbound I-19 entrance ramp intersection and widening the northbound I-19 entrance ramp on the departure side of the intersection. The work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.