PHOENIX – Southern Arizona residents can review and provide feedback on three recommended potential corridors for the proposed Sonoran Corridor at a public meeting in Tucson on Thursday, March 7.
The recommendations will be available for review from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 7, at the DoubleTree Suites Tucson Airport, 7051 S. Tucson Blvd. A presentation from the Arizona Department of Transportation will begin at 6 p.m.
The Sonoran Corridor would connect Interstate 10 and Interstate 19 south of Tucson International Airport. It has been designated as a high-priority corridor under the federal Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. There is no timeline for building a freeway in the corridor.
In the process creating a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, officials are identifying and studying a range of possible corridors along with the opportunities and constraints of each. The study considers the potential social, economic and natural environment impacts of the alternatives, as well as the impact of not building a freeway in this area. The study, which began in 2017, is expected to be completed in 2020.
The study is evaluating multiple 2,000-foot-wide corridor alternatives, including a no-build alternative and multiple build alternatives, to determine a recommendation that is based on technical analysis and other factors, including public input.
A future Tier 2 environmental study would advance the Tier 1 recommendations to identify the specific project alignment, effects and mitigation. There is no timeline or funding identified for the Tier 2 study.