By Sean Holstege | The Republic | azcentral.com
A prominent economic-environmental group has given the proposed Interstate 11 through Arizona a conditional green light, signaling growing acceptance of an ambitious project that was little more than an idea two years ago, transportation planners said Monday.
State transportation departments in Arizona and Nevada are wrapping up a two-year feasibility study into linking Phoenix and Las Vegas and beyond via a new interstate. Public comment on the study ends Friday, and findings are expected in July. The drive between the two cities currently takes about 41/2 hours.
The Sonoran Institute, an environmental group that promotes sustainable development in the Mountain West, will release its own findings today, hoping to influence future decisions on the project.
Related: Nevada Governor Eyeing I-11 As Political Litmus Test