No timeline in sight for Interstate 11 construction in Arizona
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Plans for Interstate 11, which would run from Las Vegas to Nogales, have been in the works for years, but it may be many more before Arizonans can catch a ride on the proposed freeway.
State of play: The only existing segment of I-11 is the 22.8-mile portion that runs concurrently with U.S. Route 93 from Henderson, Nevada, to the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which spans the Colorado River and bypasses Hoover Dam.
Details: The remainder of the proposed 280-mile route between Wickenburg and Nogales would be divided into segments.
- The preferred path would go south from Wickenburg to Interstate 10 and wind around the western side of metro Phoenix and south of South Mountain. Its path through southern Arizona has not yet been decided, but will either use the existing I-10 corridor or a new roadway that runs west of Tucson and links with Interstate 19 near Sahuarita.
- Northwest of Wickenburg, I-11 would run concurrently with U.S. 93.
What's next: The state provided funding for the department to conduct an environmental study for Tier 2 between Wickenburg and Buckeye, Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) spokesperson Laura Douglas told Axios Phoenix.
- The department is developing a timeline for that effort, but no start date has been determined, she said.
- A Tier 1 study for the segment from Nogales to Wickenburg was completed in 2021.
The big picture: Congress hasn't allocated any funding for I-11 in Arizona, Douglas said.
- For I-11 to advance, the project also needs approval under the National Environmental Policy Act.
The bottom line: "There is no timeline for the construction of any segment of I-11," Douglas said.
The other side: Christian Price of the Interstate 11 Coalition, a nonprofit created in 2009 to advocate for the proposed freeway, optimistically tells Axios Phoenix he believes the Wickenburg-to-Buckeye segment could be completed and drivable within 10 years.
Why it matters: Supporters argue the proposed freeway will be needed to alleviate congestion on I-10, as ADOT director John Halikowksi said in a federal court filing earlier this year.
- "Arizona is not going to stop growing. … We can ignore it or we can plan for it," Price told us, emphasizing Pinal County's population growth.
- I-11 boosters frequently note that Las Vegas and Phoenix are the American cities of 1 million or more residents not connected by an interstate.
- All but 39 of the 200 miles from Wickenburg to the Nevada state line are four-lane divided highway, improving travel between Phoenix and Las Vegas, according to ADOT.
The latest: Litigation threatens to delay the I-11 plans.
- A coalition of environmental groups sued the Federal Highway Administration, alleging it did not follow U.S. environmental laws when it approved the 280-mile corridor for the interstate.
- A federal judge in May rejected a request that the case be dismissed and allowed the lawsuit to proceed.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the specifics of the southern route for the latest Arizona Department of Transportation plan for Interstate 11 have not been decided. An incorrect map that ran in an earlier version of the story has been removed.