The Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration have selected the route for a 280-mile stretch of freeway, called Interstate 11, which will run from Nogales to Wickenburg.
The route has long been discussed as a streamlined travel method from Phoenix to Las Vegas, and to enhance the transportation of goods from Mexico into the United States.
The two agencies published a selected corridor, which is 2,000 feet — less than half a mile— wide, where the proposed freeway could run. In later steps, the corridor will be narrowed to a maximum 400-foot-wide alignment, but at this time there is no plan or funding for the next phase of studies, the agencies said in a press release.
The announcement follows the passage of the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes $110 billion of new funds for roads, bridges and other major projects, but Interstate 11 is not specifically mentioned.
If funding were to become available, there are several other steps required to move forward as a construction project, including several National Environmental Policy Act studies and approval.
