The Arizona Dept. of Transportation has called a series of public meetings in early May to reveal their Interstate 11 plans to date and get feedback from the public. Sources say that they are discussing three possible routes in Southern Arizona, two through the Avra Valley and one along the existing I-10 corridor. A “No-Build” option is always in the mix, although ADOT’s February, 2017, “Final Purpose and Need Me Memorandum,” published on the i11study.com website, does not mention that.
That document repeats ADOT’s reasons for wanting I-11 in Southern Arizona, including “nearshoring,” attracting U.S. companies from China to lower-wage Mexico; and “integrative manufacturing,” research and de development in Arizona and Nevada and production and assembly in Mexico.
Public meetings to review the three possible routes is the next step to arriving at ADOT’s “preferred alternative” route. That decision could be as much as a year away although many are convinced that the route proposed by County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry is the leading favorite. Hundreds of people attended the first wave of public meetings, especially in Tucson and Marana, and a review of the comments, also available on the i11study.com website, click on “Reports,” shows that people overwhelmingly oppose I-11 or an I-11 highway through the Avra Valley.
With this next round of meetings coming up, some Avra Valley residents are wondering if the Pima County Board of Supervisors will break their silence. Supervisor Sharon Bronson, speaking at a candidates’ forum in Picture Rocks before the last election, said that she and the BOS opposed I-11 in line with BOS Resolution 2007-343 opposing “any I-10 bypass in Pima County.” I-11 opponents have been citing that board policy for years with almost no response from the Supervisors. Steve Christy, who was not on the board for that vote, chaired the State Transportation Board and diverted $15 million from approved road projects to the I-11 EIS. His predecessor, Ray Carroll, had said the BOS might have to rethink their position on the resolution.
County Administrator Huckelberry, who is hired by the BOS to carry out BOS policy, has been a leading public voice for an Avra Valley I-11 route, spending copious county dollars on presentations, maps, and time to promote his highway. Is Huckelberry a free agent who can be blatantly insubordinate and violate county policy with impunity, or is the BOS majority in support of his “Huckelberry Highway” and not telling the voters the voters the truth? Pima County residents, especially in Bronson’s District 3, have a right to know.
Here is ADOT’s notice of the meeting locations, dates, and times:
Meeting Information and Notices
The Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration are hosting public meetings to present reasonable corridor alternatives for the proposed Interstate 11 between Nogales and Wick Wickenburg.
YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED!
Meeting attendees will be able to review and comment on the proposed reasonable alternatives. The alternatives were developed as part of the environmental study based on:
•Input from the agency and public scoping meetings held in 2016 •Technical analysis •Findings from previous studies •Public comment through postal mail, email, telephone and the I-11 website
The following list outlines the public meetings to be conducted in May 2017. Each meeting will be conducted from 5-7 p.m., with a presentation starting at approximately 5:15 p.m. The same information will be present presented at each meeting. Following the presentation, the meetings will be held in an open house format with study team members available to answer questions.
Alternatives Evaluation Public Information Meetings:
Meeting Locations:
● Tuesday, May 2
Arizona Riverpark Inn
777 W. Cushing Street, Tucson, AZ
● Wednesday, May 3
Marana Middle School – Cafeteria
11285 W. Grier Road, Marana, AZ
● Thursday, May 4
Nogales High School – Cafeteria
1905 N. Apache Boulevard, Nogales, AZ
● Wednesday, May 10
Dorothy Powell Senior Adult Center Dining Room
405 E. 6th Street, Casa Grande, AZ
● Thursday, May 11
Wickenburg Community Center
160 N. Valentine Street, Wickenburg, AZ
● Tuesday, May 16
Buckeye Community Center Multipurpose Room
201 E. Centre Avenue, Buckeye, AZ