I-11 developments create efficiency for the state

Nevada officials announced recently that the first 15-mile stretch of Interstate 11, the newest country highway, passed its last construction steps and will be available to drivers immediately.

This first segment of I-11 will pass through Boulder City, Nevada and allow drivers to save 30 minutes in their commute between Arizona and Las Vegas. In the long run, transportation officials aim for an interstate connection between Mexico and Canada. Construction initially started in 2015 and has cost $318 million thus far.

ADOT Community Relations Manager Laura Douglas explains that although the future of the highway is largely uncertain, the overarching goal is to turn the US 93 into a regulated interstate. “US 93 is considered a key commerce corridor and will essentially be the new I-11. All of those investments that we have put into that highway have been key so far and will help when it becomes a country interstate,” explains Douglas. “US 93 is a corridor that is being worked on, and the goal for it is a four-lane divided highway. However, that’s just US 93. When we talk about building it into interstate standards, I-11 will be somewhere along the lines of six lanes.”

Douglas notes that the next major development will be the connection of Wickenburg and Nogales. “We’re in the middle of working out our Tier One Environmental Impact Statement, which will provide a recommended corridor,” Douglas says. “When we have that ready, we are going to publish that, and the public can review that draft. In early 2019, we will have public hearings so that the public can voice their comments and address their thoughts about our study’s findings.”

She highlights the importance of this new corridor as Pinal County continues to grow. As more jobs arise in Tucson and Nogales, the expansion of this interstate allows potential employees to more efficiently migrate between Nogales, Phoenix, and Tucson.

Douglas explains that nearly everyone will benefit from the new interstate. She continues, “It’s a corridor designed for many reasons, including but not limited to: the movement of freight traffic starting in Nogales moving to our regional economic connectors, the assistance of daily traffic and personal commutes, and the movement of overall traffic.”

As more segments of US 93 are completed and as Interstate 11 expands, it will provide a major boon for commuters, vacationers, and transporters every day. Not only will it bring new transportation efficiency to Arizona, it will also connect multiple states in the Southwest over time.