The Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement has been released by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) for the I-11 corridor from Nogales to Wickenburg. It does not provide one preferred route through Pima County. It recommends moving the planning process forward with two routes. The West route will build a new highway through the Avra Valley and the East route will co-locate I-11 on the existing I-10 and I-19 highways by making improvements.

 

Friends is opposed to the West route through the Avra Valley because of the negative environmental impact it will have on the Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park. The proposed corridor would run adjacent to the Park and; threaten the survival of native wildlife, disturb archaeological sites, impede washes, increase the spread of invasive plants, degrade the visitor experience at Saguaro National Park and many, many more (listed below in the Friends Board Resolution).

 

Friends believes that our community will experience economic benefits from increased trade between the United States and Mexico. To facilitate that goal, Friends supports the upgrade, expansion and redesign of our existing transportation alignments (I-10 and I-19). This will address the outlined I-11 project purpose, needs, and help to reconnect Tucson's downtown communities that were divided during the initial construction of I-10 (detailed below in Friends & NPCA Op-Ed).

 

A lawsuit, lead by the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection has been filed against the Federal Highway Administration's Record of Decision on I-11. Friends is in support of the lawsuit and more information about it can be found here. If you have any questions about I-11, please contact Friends.