The Arizona Department of Transportation has begun to study possible routes for a new highway on Tucson's south side.
The idea behind the "Sonoran Corridor" is to alleviate commercial traffic along interstates 10 and 19 in parts of Tucson.
“Part of the benefit of the Sonoran Corridor obviously would be to take that traffic off of I-19, move it past Tucson International Airport and on to those markets in the east,” said ADOT's Tom Herrmann.
Herrmann said the highway could also prove beneficial to industrial companies with operations south of the airport.
The ADOT study will determine if there is need for the highway and look for half-mile wide corridors where the highway could be built.
The study will take three years to complete. There is no timetable for completion of the project, and funding sources have not been identified.
Two public comment meetings will be held this week in the Tucson area:
- Wednesday, June 7, at the Radisson Hotel Tucson Airport, 4550 S. Palo Verde Road, Tucson.
- Thursday, June 8, at the Santa Cruz Valley United Methodist Church, 70 E. Sahuarita Road, Sahuarita.
Both meetings will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m., with a presentation beginning at 6 p.m.
Other means to provide input:
- Email: Sonorancorridor@azdot.gov
- Phone: (855) 712-8530
- Mail: Sonoran Corridor Tier 1 EIS Study Team, c/o ADOT Communications
1655 W. Jackson St., Mail Drop 126F Phoenix, AZ 85007
More details on the project are available at ADOT's website.
