Las Vegas-Phoenix interstate link moves closer to reality
Las Vegas Review-Journal — Congress is taking the first step to link Las Vegas and Phoenix with a modern interstate highway that would grease travel and commerce in the desert Southwest.
A major road and transit bill expected to pass the House and Senate by the weekend would allow federal funding to upgrade U.S. Highway 93 to expressway standards over the 300 miles separating the cities.
The bill contains no money for the project but designates the corridor for development as Interstate 11, making it eligible for federal aid in the coming years.
Business interests in Nevada and Arizona have lobbied heavily for an interstate, pointing out that Las Vegas and Phoenix are the last remaining major metropolitan areas not linked by a modern connector.
The road could become a segment in a highway corridor stretching from Mexico to Canada, including upgrades to U.S. Highway 95 between Las Vegas and Reno.
Highway fingers to the West Coast could fuel more truck traffic moving goods inland from California seaports, business leaders envision.
Action by Congress on the interstate "is a critical game changer for our region," said Kristin McMillan, president and chief executive of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. "Interstate 11 will be the most significant infrastructure built in our region in 50 years."
The highway will not happen tomorrow. Over the next 10 to 20 years federal, state and local interests must locate billions of dollars for the endeavor for which there is not yet a solid cost estimate.
The interstate designation was championed in Congress by lawmakers from the two states after Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, both R-Ariz., had it inserted into an early version of the federal legislation in the fall.
The Interstate 11 provision was a tiny part of a $120 billion bill to renew federal highway and mass transit programs for two years. U.S. House and Senate negotiators hammered out a final deal on the bill late Wednesday.
"Connecting two of the largest cities in the Southwest by interstate will create good-paying jobs, increase commerce, and significantly boost tourism to our state," Reid said.
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Las Vegas-Phoenix interstate link moves closer to reality
Las Vegas Review-Journal — Congress is taking the first step to link Las Vegas and Phoenix with a modern interstate highway that would grease travel and commerce in the desert Southwest.
A major road and transit bill expected to pass the House and Senate by the weekend would allow federal funding to upgrade U.S. Highway 93 to expressway standards over the 300 miles separating the cities.
The bill contains no money for the project but designates the corridor for development as Interstate 11, making it eligible for federal aid in the coming years.
Business interests in Nevada and Arizona have lobbied heavily for an interstate, pointing out that Las Vegas and Phoenix are the last remaining major metropolitan areas not linked by a modern connector.
The road could become a segment in a highway corridor stretching from Mexico to Canada, including upgrades to U.S. Highway 95 between Las Vegas and Reno.
Highway fingers to the West Coast could fuel more truck traffic moving goods inland from California seaports, business leaders envision.
Action by Congress on the interstate "is a critical game changer for our region," said Kristin McMillan, president and chief executive of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. "Interstate 11 will be the most significant infrastructure built in our region in 50 years."
The highway will not happen tomorrow. Over the next 10 to 20 years federal, state and local interests must locate billions of dollars for the endeavor for which there is not yet a solid cost estimate.
The interstate designation was championed in Congress by lawmakers from the two states after Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, both R-Ariz., had it inserted into an early version of the federal legislation in the fall.
The Interstate 11 provision was a tiny part of a $120 billion bill to renew federal highway and mass transit programs for two years. U.S. House and Senate negotiators hammered out a final deal on the bill late Wednesday.
"Connecting two of the largest cities in the Southwest by interstate will create good-paying jobs, increase commerce, and significantly boost tourism to our state," Reid said.
Read the whole article »
