By Jeremy Duda, Jay Bennett | Arizona Capitol Times
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, wind around the western side of metro Phoenix and south of South Mountain, then largely run parallel to I-10 and around the western side of the Tucson area before linking 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.
