TUCSON, Ariz. — Elected officials in southern Arizona are asking Gov. Katie Hobbs to stop transportation planners from further developing Interstate 11 in an area that could disrupt rural communities.
The proposed highway connecting Las Vegas to Nogales has been in the works for the last decade but residents in Pima County have repeatedly objected to a section of I-11 that could cut through Avra Valley and Picture Rocks.
On June 18, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to pass a resolution declaring the board's affirmative objection to building the highway in an area that could result in environmental problems and "put a huge gash in the Sonoran Desert."
"The Pima County Board of Supervisors hereby affirms its opposition to the construction of an I-11 highway in Avra Valley and calls upon Governor Katie Hobbs to direct the Arizona Department of Transportation to cease consideration of that route," the resolution states.
Several elected officials throughout Arizona have expressed support for bringing I-11 to completion by claiming the project will create immense economic benefits for the state. But leaders in Pima County have long been skeptical about the highway.
In 2021, ADOT released the results of its years-long study that identified a 280-mile corridor for where I-11 could be constructed. One section of that route in Pima County splits into two options: a western route located in Avra Valley and an eastern route located adjacent to the existing Interstate 10 freeway.
Pima County's latest resolution argues that building a highway from scratch would be incredibly expensive and generate more air pollution.
Supervisor Steve Christy, who voted against the resolution, said it could hinder the county's ability to participate in the planning of future infrastructure projects.
"If we take I-11 out of the conversation, we might as well go back to horse-and-buggy days," Christy said during the BOS meeting this week.
