It depends on what direction you're going when you see it, I've been looking at it since it was first pointed out to me in the late 80's by someone who picked me up hitchhiking. My name is Bicycle Bob and I approved this message.
I live in Tonopah, AZ, where I-11 will travel north from I-10. The original reason for I-11 was related the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and primarily intended to facilitate transportation of goods from Mexico to Canada. Yes, I-11 will be open for general use, but the economic decision was based on helping Mexico do business with Canada.
Honestly, for the AZ portion, I would expect them to just bring US-93 up to Interstate standards from the state line to AZ-303, then build a connection between I-10 and I-8 from somewhere near the southern point of 303. A direct connection between Wickenburg and Buckeye plus the Tucson bypass will probably either be way off in the future or end up getting axed.
It's probalby cheaper to build new road thru the desert from north of Wickenburg to Buckeye and I-10. Upgrading US-93 down to 303 is a big project including aquistion, condemation, and eminent domain and the inherent legal delays.
@@ikmarchiniyup India is doing this and now their interstate system is all new highways being built at a rapid pace. It’s cheaper and easier to acquire land for a new highway than expanding existing.
@ikmarchini the section of us 60 from Wickenburg to 303 is 4 lanes already. The big expense is the interchanges needed since they are all ground level now.
I’m from Texas so I’m giving my POV: I agree but…. Arizona didn’t even want to build when federal dollars were thrown at them. Here in Texas our state highways are AMAZING. Arizona seems to want their hand held for anything. In my opinion, the bridge was the biggest issue. Take your state funds and make the existing highway to Phoenix more in tune with interstate standards. Why are they waiting on the federal government? 🤷🏿♂️
Arizona has upgraded much of the I-11 corridor and are currently in the design stage to build an interchange at I-40 in Kingman. Hopefully the connection between Arizona & Nevada will be completed sooner than later.
When I lived in Reno, there was lots of talk about I-11 reaching us. It would substantially cut the time taken to get to Vegas and would add a little more certainty in services on the way there
This video should be shown to many transit users letting them know that it is not just transit projects are taking too long and over budget but also highways
We know. We still wish that people held transit projects to the same standards as they hold highway projects. They are as (if not more) necessary, cleaner, and more fiscally sound! But for whatever reason an over budget train is endlessly demeaned while an over budget highway is just going to be a little late.
We know. The United States no longer has the ability to bring infrastructure projects on time and under budget anymore. I bet humanity becomes extinct before some of these new big vision interstates (I-11 to Canada, I-14, I-49, I-69, I-73, I-74 & I-99) are completed.
I can tell you, as a retired employee of the Federal Highway Administration, there are FAR more examples of highway projects that were delayed and ended up costing far more than initially expected than transit projects. Anyone who doesn't realize that hasn't been paying attention over the past 100 years. It's nothing new. The reasons for the delays and cost overruns are due to many issues. Don't believe that it's all the fault of the environmentalists.
How does a freeway get proposed to cut through Saguaro National Park? That should be a flat out non-starter. I imagine that budget constraints and environmental opposition would favor the alignment concurrent with I-10 through Tucson.
There's no need for a parallel alignment of I-11 with I-10 as long as sufficient right-of-way exists to widen I-10. Link them at Casa Grande where I-8 and I-10 meet.
Can't even begin to imagine the wailing, howling, and lawsuits from every environmental group in the country over just about every section of the plan. Will be a notable part of the costs and time of completion.
Just stumbled on this channel. Good info! I've driven the Reno-Las Vegas route more times than i can count. It's a very needed upgrade currently 2 lane for 300 miles, tons of semi traffic, constant need to pass slow traffic. Reno metro is approaching 600k and Vegas is almost 2 million (if not already) and neither show signs of slowdown. Reno is a major west coast distribution location as well.
It would be nice. Right now it's just so much easier to fly to Reno from where I live in Las Vegas. It would have been nice to speed that (the construction) up after that really bad fatal accident a few years ago North of Pahrump. Although to be honest, most of the problem resides with dumbass drivers so accustomed to driving freeways they don't understand how to safely drive 2 lane highways. But in the case of that fatal accident, it was the issue of drug use causing it. The problem we have here in Vegas is the valley is pretty much full. How do you route I-11 through a city valley that is already full? I don't know if they've made a decision on this yet, most likely it will just follow 95 through the city, but the congestion on this route on the East side of the valley is already pretty bad.
I'd think it would be huge for trucking and encourage more logistics facilities in LV and Reno. Especially if travel centers and wireless service were figured into the improvement. a path around Donner, Tejon, Cajon and Mtn Passes when the weather has one or more of them dead stopped and the 395 has an avalanche over it like last season...
@@truckercowboyed2638same in milwaukee with I-43 south, US-41 North, I-41 North, and I-894 west all on the same road, the Airport Fwy. when 43 leaves, US-45 North joins in on the fun for the Zoo Fwy
Been waiting for this one for a while! (The highway and video lol) Being a Vegas local with one of my siblings in Tucson, and my parents in Seattle, this Highway would really help me! PS. Get your shit together AZ!!!
Our shit is together and we don’t want this monstrosity. I have never had a problem driving to Vegas. Slow down and enjoy the ride. If you’re in a hurry they have a great thing called an airplane that can get you nonstop to Tucson in two hours.
I remember some years ago my family took a road trip from Southern California to Montana stopping at a number of landmarks on the way, we stopped at the Hoover dam and i thought it was so strange that we didn’t really “stop” at the Hoover dam we just drove through it because it was the best way to get to where we were going next. They were working on the bridge at the time and that was very cool to see them constructing the arches that would hold up the road, I was probably about 8-9 at the time.
I live in Boise. If I-11 stretched past Reno and into the treasure valley, that would allow a quicker and faster way to get to Reno/Vegas as well as San Francisco. Right now you just take unsafe highways and backroads to get to all of these places
US-93 is a hot mess. From Hoover Dam to Kingman it is pretty much highway standard just needing to cut off sideroads. Kingman to Wikieup has be updated but still near highway standard with needing to cut off the sideroads again. They would need to fix the road going through Wikieup as there is no divide. Wikieup to Wickenburg is a major dumpster fire. At times it is two lanes other times it's four lanes and all the in and out passing lanes. Driving this part of the road at night can be very hellish for people not familiar with the area. I for sure would like to see this project come true, but this seems like a very steep hill to climb.
Wikieup would likely get a bypass around it. Basically, AZ will be doing what Texas is doing when upgrading US 59 to I-69 - upgrade the road section by section, signing each section as the interstate as it does, until finally everything has been upgrade piecemeal over time.
That would be really useful, and much of 85 is already at or near interstate standards. The stretch near Buckeye is clearly frontage roads for a future freeway.
Good video, I’ve seen a few on this route. The bridge was definitely needed. As a Texan I’ll say, you don’t NEED an interstate for the rest of the route. But Arizona isn’t known for building good roads on their own so there’s that. 🤷🏿♂️
@@goldfieldgary Fair point. Maybe I didn’t word my comment the best now that I reread it lol. what I meant was Arizona waits around for federal dollars (which they deserve, don’t get me wrong) but ignore how much economic benefit they’d get from this project. Here in Texas for example, I-69 is not a “new road” it’s simply Texas upgrading US77 and US59 to interstate standards. I think Arizona deserves the same benefits and funding. It would be ideal to upgrade US 93 is it? That being said, doesn’t look like it would even take much lol. Most of it is rural. Probably just needs some shoulders and exits here and there 🤷🏿♂️ Salute to my Arizonans, it’s a beautiful place.
@@chefssaltybawlz you bring up an interesting point. Arizona foots the bill, but the lion's share of the economic benefit goes to Las Vegas, in Nevada. At least until the highway is completed the entire distance.
Those of us living in Kingman are anxiously awaiting the construction of functional interchange at what is now 93 to I40. Right now it's a horrible intersection, lots of driveways and two extremely slow traffic lights. Plans are drawn up, hoping construction starts soon.
Arizona should just build from the Stateline to Kingman and worry about the rest later. Also Bend should connect with Washington by having US 97 upgraded to interstate standards and be I-9, and if there’s enough demand for it, Idaho can upgrade US 95 to interstate standards and be I-13 which could start in Winnemuca
I drove from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon a few years ago. I-11 to the Arizona line was fine. US 93 though at night was hard. It was mostly 4 lanes as I recall (maybe some spots were still 2 lanes at that point, ca. 2018). I felt like I had won the lottery when I finally got to Kingman!
I-13... that may be bad luck, plus I also hope that I-17 will be extended northward towads I-70 & I-15 for cars & semis going to Salt Lake or Western Colorado (or vice versa)
I can't help but wonder what Interstate 11 running along US97 would do the property value for those living within a stone's throw of 97. I live just north of the California border, and less than a mile from 97. I think that Interstate 11 would have a positive impact on the Klamath Basin area economically.
It'd be nice to see the interchange between US-93 and I-40 in Kingman upgraded, maybe at least a flyover ramp from SB US-93 to EB I-40. That intersection is always a bottleneck every time I pass through there...
I’ll be sad if I see the Western Tucson bypass part get completed. I don’t live there but felt the Western half of the Saguaro was too bottle-necked into development when I visited last year. And I’m sure they’d change the novelty of the km markers on the old I19 lol. Making a more respectable route between Phoenix/I10 and Vegas seems a 100% legit need though.
So north of Reno, did nobody consider … - joint route with with I-80 northeastward to Winnemucca; - Building up US 95 north to Ontario, OR (thus indirectly serving Boise); - joint route with I-84 northwestward to Hermiston; - joint route with with I-82 to the Tri-Cities area; - Building up US 395 to where it meets I-90 only a few dozen miles from Spokane? That route could establish a pretty vital corridor that leverages hundreds of miles of work already done and only requires building about 300-350 miles of spankin’ new freeway. Bend would still get left in the lurch, but maybe the above approach would conserve enough money (relative to trying to build whole new freeways east of the Cascades) to allow for an I-7 or something like that to be built from Bend to Yakima.
As someone from Las Vegas, I find this information helpful. Although I dislike cars, the idea of an interstate connecting Reno to Phoenix sounds rather exciting. Great work!
I live just south of Bend, OR and I can assure you that an expansion of the current Hwy. 97 is in desperate need in both the north and southbound directions. Although accepting money from the federal government is like making a deal with the devil himself makes me wonder what the feds would require in return?
Great video! Some good points brought up. A couple of years ago, I traveled I-11, then US 93 to Kingman. I can definitely see I-11 being built to Phoenix. Beyond that would be not a high priority, as there already is I-10 & I-19 in place where the route is planned, although a southern bypass of Phoenix would be great for traffic passing through. As far as the northern plan, yes, definitely along US 95 to Reno. But from there, I would think the Boise plan would be more practical (Hey, got to move those potatoes!) From Reno, it would twin with I-80 to Winnemucca, then mostly follow US 95 to Boise. From there, it would continue to follow US 95 to Lewiston, and then follow US 195 to Spokane. Through Spokane, it could twin through town on I-90 to the new North-South Corridor being built for US 395, which I-11 would use. From there, it could be extended along US 395 to the Canadian border. From there, hopefully the Canadians could connect it to the Trans-Canada Highway. Now, the plan you showed coming up through Bend and Yakina, essentially following US 97 could also become something in its own right, perhaps I-9.
There’s an argument to be made that the current “main” route from Boise to at least the University of Idaho campus in Moscow is in need of a major upgrade. The topography is a serious challenge to that, therefore the costs will be massive while most observers will make “freeway to nowhere” claims. When Idaho was contemplating freeway routes a couple decades ago, I remember the governor spending more time begging for a connection from Twin Falls direct to Las Vegas. Not sure if current leadership sees it that way.
Not saying you’re wrong but let’s stop pretending Arizona cares about funding. When federal dollars were thrown at them they still whined and cried about building anything
A fundamental flaw of the interstate system is it takes away from the intrinsic beauty of the lands that they are laid through. In early November my wife and I drove north from Las Vegas to Reno, Klamath Fall, Bend, the Tri-Cities, and Yakima before going west on I-90. Much of the trip is awe-inspiring, seeing the land much like the early pioneers first saw it. Traffic was very light on many of the roads and highways except the areas around the towns and cities. Many of the areas have little to no infrastructure. My understanding is that the US military drove the requirements of the interstate system during its conception to be able to move equipment and goods quickly from one place to the next. While there are some military institutions along the highways of Nevada and Washington there isn't much and the roads and highways are adequate to handle their needs. The only reason to consider the interstate north of Las Vegas is to relieve the extreme overcrowding of the parallel interstate highways of I-5 and I-15 but I-11 north of Las Vegas would be an interstate highway to nowhere and I don't believe the residents of the area would be excited to see it.
The US Military driving requirements was my understanding as well. They saw the difficulties moving troops and equipment in Europe because of all the intersections in the roads, and they knew it needed to change.
Over the last couple of years heavy truck traffic has nearly doubled through the central Nevada portion of US93. Probably because of the overcrowding of I-5 & I-15, as you say. I live close to the 20 mph curve and hear about one crash per week resulting from drivers not taking seriously the posted "curve ahead" and reduced speed limit signs. Occasionally people die as a result. We've been hearing for years about how they're going to build I-11, but so far more talk than action.
@@goldfieldgary I drive US 93 to enjoy the incredible scenery that is out there and to get off the overcrowded freeways. US 93 is a far more pleasant drive.
I live in Henderson not far from Railroad Pass and the completed stretch is pretty nice. It stays pretty well built for awhile past the dam, but eventually gets pretty bad as the terrain goes level. I'm really curious how they'll redo the Kingman area, as it's surface streets now where it meets I-40, and it's bad on a good day. We actually drove home from a Thanksgiving weekend in the Williams area, and traffic heading south was backed up over 3 miles trying to get through the traffic lights to get on I-40... not as bad as the 15 mile back up on I-15 that was happening at the same time, but still pretty bad...
Suggestion - How about making a video on extending I-40 to Bakersfield CA, connecting with I-5, and all the way to the Pacific ocean? How about converting US101 to I-3 or I-1?
Yes I've seen extending interstate 40 on what's now highway 58 all the way to Bakersfield, then go north on 99 to highway 46, Make that also interstate 40 and run it all the way to Paso Robles.
US 101 is fine as it is. A lot of us 101 is already a freeway in California and if it became a freeway in Oregon and Washington the coastal towns would be destroyed since current 101 goes right through them
@@CaseyGpdx No need to go through Oregon and Washington. I-3 can just ends in San Francisco, stops at the current I-80 intersection. I will only go from LA downtown to SF downtown
The latest so-called "defense authorization" for FY 2024 is $883.6 BILLION. Imagine what we could build with a fraction of that money instead of blowing it all on the military, which doesn't even adequately take care of our veterans, who have to rely on private charities like Wounded Warriors.
Yeah lets just allow our military to go hell and unable to do their jobs, it takes vast amounts of money to keep our forces up to date and trained for the future......
@@truckercowboyed2638 pretty sure a couple BILLION dollars allocated elsewhere won’t make that much of a dent, not to mention the next 10 biggest military budgets combined are still smaller than ours
America now pays over ONE TRILLION dollars a year on just interest on our debt. Imagine what America could do if we had 0 debt and had that extra 1 trillion dollars a year that now goes to NOTHING and produces NOTHING.
The true priority should be Vegas-Phoenix. Get that done, then deal with the rest. If NV can work on the segment to Reno concurrently, great! But ultimately it’s the connection between these two major metropolitan areas that’s important.
I drive Reno area to Phoenix pretty regularly and just made the round trip last week. Reno to Vegas is mostly two lane but road surface is quite good and even though it is a pretty boring drive, it is fairly easy. There is significant truck and RV traffic but there are many long passing zones so easy to get around them. Making it all divided highway would be nice though. Going south from Vegas is new until you hit the AZ border. Then the road turns to complete garbage all the way to Phoenix. Even though it is mostly divided highway, the road surface is so torn up with pot holes and ruts from trucks that you spend the whole time swerving around trying to avoid destroying your vehicle's suspension. Seriously Arizona, fix your damn roads!
I’m from Houston and had friends (for some reason) drive to Vegas. My question is: why not upgrade US93 as needed to I-40? Thats all yall gotta do! Do it, Arizona. The bridge around the Hoover is done. Get on it!
A better option to get a new interstate on the east side of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington would be Interstate 7 from Weed CA up to Spokane WA through Bend, OR and the Tri Cities area, WA. There is no 4 lane route between Northern and Central California and eastern Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana.
They really need i11 thou, due to the amount of truck traffic between Phoenix and reno It sucks driving us93 and us95 but they shouldn't stop at reno with it, extend it up into Oregon and Washington state up to the border Taking it up thru bend and Spokane via us395/97
Would make more sense for I-11 to head towards Boise ID & then further north to Spokane WA. Both areas have been growing the past 5-10 years & are in need of another interstate to junction off of I-84 & I-90
You made me spit out my food laughing at 2:50. There's nothing easy about driving into downtown Phoenix on Grand Avenue. (US-60) Tell me you've never driven around Phoenix without telling me you've never driven around Phoenix.
I was going to say something similar about US 60/Grand Avenue. It's a pity that the railroad running alongside and local objections don't allow it to be upgraded to full limited access, which would make things run more smoothly than the traffic lights along it. And the lack of direct access to I-17 is also a big problem...
I sure would like you to do a video on a very similar situation -- the two large capital cities of Oklahoma City and Denver have no good interstate connection! I, and every trucker in the country, have been complaining about that for decades. You have to go north to Salina KS, then west to Denver (thru the most boring scenery ever). A direct diagonal could save 200 miles, several hours, and lots of fuel. It would be the easiest thing ever to build -- there's nothing out there in that big flat plain to stop it, no big rivers, canyons, or mountains. It could even continue past OKC to Texarkana and join I-49 there to New Orleans. I wish you could research all this for us!
The decommissioning of Interstate 515 in the Las Vegas area is underway and it is being replaced with Interstate 11, as well as the US 95 freeway west of Interstate 15. State Route 613 (the Summerlin Parkway) would become Interstate 311 (it is not possible to have the route numbers 411 or 911 because of their confusion with directory assistance or emergency service phone numbers).
We in the Wickenburg area want it to by pass us. The traffic going to Vegas from Phoenix is horrid, and it currently jams up our traffic every weekend. Those travelers don’t stop in Wickenburg, they are just passing through….so let them pass. Free up the town for those of us who live here.
Problem is that the state basically gave BNSF a ton of land for pennies on the dollar between Wittman & Morristown to build an intermodal facility. So they’ll basically be transferring shipping containers from rail cars to semis and plug up every road in the area. And you bet it was a sweetheart deal because decision makers pockets were stuffed with cash.
Reno to Phoenix is really all that's needed. I don't see any reason for concurrent numbering along 10 and 19, which would probably cause confusion. Running it through the Nevada desert would necessitate building gas stations and restaurants during the construction, otherwise a situation worse than I-5 would arise (the freeway was built well away from any gas stations), so that would increase the overall cost of that section.
My money is on 11 getting finished between loop 303 and the Hoover Dam first, then Vegas to Reno, *maybe* but probably not seeing the Buckeye to Casa Grande segment built (but perhaps parts of it just not as I-11). Casa Grande to Nogales is completely unnecessary so seems unlikely, as well as the direct Bend/Reno link. I could see 11 being extended from Reno to I-5 near Shasta for the Portland link, then eventually doing another branch of 11 from Weed to Bend via Klamath Falls. 97 between Madras and Weed via Bend & Klamath Falls is the only chunk of the northern segment that feels like it needs to be an Interstate, so I could easily see it being built along the Madras Bend Klamath corridor then never connecting to Reno, becoming a split interstate a la I-84, I-76, & I-74.
I don't see why I-11 has to go through Tucson and to the Mexican border. Why waste money adding I-11 shields on I-10 and replacing I-19 shields? Just end the freeway in Gila Bend. EDIT: I originally said end the freeway in Buckeye, but I thought about it, and connecting it to I-8 in Gila Bend is a better idea.
I-11 north of Vegas will never be a thing, because there is not enough water to support any increase in population for the small towns along the route. I don't know if AZ wants growth between Phoenix and the NV border because that is going to stress their water resources especially with the Phoenix metro still expanding.
This would be nice. We also need a better route between Las Vegas and Bay Area. Currently, the quickest route would be to get on the 5, go ALL the way south to the 58 in Bakersfield/tehachapi/Mojave. And then meet up with the 15 in Barstow before going NORTH again. Very roundabout.
There are some pretty big mountains for the direct route from Las Vegas to SF Bay area. More likely, but still will never happen is to extend I40 on the route of CA58 all the way to I5, and then to US101.
@@spikespa5208 CA58 is near proper freeway all the way to CA99 where there's a massive construction project going on right now to build an interchange. I think there are a few non-interstate-quality street intersections on CA58 around California City that make it not a real freeway, but for an actual drive it doesn't matter much. Between CA99 and I5 it gets weird and just peters out into two lanes just a few miles from I5.It's so close to being freeway all the way there. CA58 would be a nice video topic, I think, actually.
@@cathrynm Grew up in that area decades ago. Always amazed that it took so long to get even four lanes(much less a controlled access freeway) from Mojave to Barstow. Can remember when the freeway petered out at the summit just west of Tehachapi. The Tehachapi route is the number one route out of the southern San Joaquin Valley to go east and essentially the only route when Donner is shut down. It's ridiculous that it is still not done, considering the volume of truck traffic on that stretch of 58.
@@spikespa5208 Agree, it is such an important route. Caltrans has been slowly picking away at it over the years. Also CA46 from I5 to US101. I suspect this keeps the improvements lower profile. If they announced I40 to the coast, the state would explode politically, but by gradually adding a new lane here and there along CA58 and CA46, only the people who drive that way notice, and the environmentalists don't get triggered as hard.
Seriously, for the Arizona section I would expect the state to upgrade US-93 to interstate from the Pat Tillman Bridge to SR-303, then upgrade 303 all the way to I-10 and then connect over new right of way to SR-202 which is already freeway, which takes I-11 to I-10. Then they can run it down I-10 to Tucson and I-19 to the border. Personally, I'd rather see the full length of this I-11 become the new I-17 until it hits Vegas and the existing I-17 changed to I-19.
I was glad to hear you say the northern part will probably never be built. Up to Reno is out of my territory and probably a useful route, but north of Reno does NOT need any more roads, and especially freeways. Freeways bring crime and people; give all of that to Arizona! God Help Us.
What is needed is an interstate from Vegas north to Twin falls Idaho, where it would intersect I84. Has anyone driven U.S. 93 south lately? I have, and it is a MAJOR trucking route. I asked some truck drivers in Ely NV why so many trucks and he said we bring goods from the border and this is the fastest route north to I 84. Boise is becoming a major urban area in the PNW and we could really use a north south freeway linking to Vegas and yes Phoenix; and even Los Angles. Top that off, there is not much out there and building a freeway would be very cost effective. Nevada has already widen US 93 North from I15 for several miles so it appears someone agrees with me.
I feel like if I-11 were to continue north of Reno I could see it connect to Boise rather than the eastern slopes of the cascades because the terrain would make it extremely difficult to build a freeway especially along the Columbia river valley along the border with Washington & Oregon as well as anywhere north of Ellensburg to the Okanagan valley
I’ve always been saying that I-11 should go further north past Reno NV area & north towards Boise ID area as that area has been growing in the last 10 years or so. But it should go further north towards the ID panhandle to Lewiston ID, then cut into WA state & pass near Pullman (where WA State Univ is located) & all the way to Spokane (another area also growing too.
@soverst.5839 they'd probably go up towards bend and eastern Oregon up to Spokane via us395 and us97 up to i84 and i82 Really need it thru there due to the amount of farms and industries up there
@@S_Over_StreetNogales to Phoenix, then way over to Reno, then double back to Boise, then over some wicked terrain to Spokane? Highway engineers will be grilled on what they’re drinking. Most of these cities (Spokane being the exception) can only grow so much because they are desert climates. I can see making an expressway of US 95 from Winnemucca to Boise as a separate project, then Boise to Northern Idaho as a separate project, but it’s hard to really envision extending a route north of Reno otherwise. Interests in Spokane wanting a more direct route to California seems more likely, whether that’s forging a bypass to Bend + the 97 corridor to Weed, or improving US 395 to Reno.
Honestly this sounds amazing. But despite the business of tucson, there's no good developemnt spot in saguaro. I hope it would connect I 8 to I 10 west of Phoenix to serve as a full bypass
In the big picture: There already exists a western interstate corridor from Mexico to Canada in I-5. I-5 is fairly direct and less circuitous than this proposal. In the regional picture there is obviously call for improved highways in Arizona, but the question becomes: Given current climate and water supply conditions, is this an area where development should be encouraged?
Have you ever driven I-5? It's obviously waaaaaay over capacity between LA and Sacramento, plus you have to go thru the hell of Los Angeles. Plus there's the trucking regulations that CA is putting in place...disallowing older semi trucks from operating in the state. If I'm a trucker, I'd avoid CA like the plague if I could.
do um, do amtrak and brightline know about the need for this connection? I'm just saying, there aren't any existing tracks between vegas and phoenix and doing anything to stick it to UP and BNSF is welcome
i see no reason to build an i-11 extension south of i-8. the western edge of tucson have little in terms of suburbs and a highway there can potentially harm tucson mountain & saguaro national park. connecting metropolitan areas is important, enabling suburban sprawl in a drought-vulnerable region is not.
What we will more see is smaller systems that serve megalopolises (like Acella in the North East) rather than one single national system. There is way to large of areas where the environmental damage and destroyed landscapes are not worth it.
No. And certainly not in the West. The combination of geography, nimbyism, and self-imposed environmental constraints, combined with the lack of demand and ticket prices needed to make projects pencil out, doom this idea from the start. Air travel is far quicker and less expensive.
I think the Easy thing to do to get this complete is to just Build a freeway connection from US 60 in Wickenburg to I 10 & AZ 85 in Buckeye and a Bypass of 85 in Gila Bend so that means that 11 would run Concurrent with 93 85 8 10 and 19 with just those 2 connections it will save Arizona a lot of money that way
while i do think a lot of road in the U.S. needs to be tore up partially or completely I do think there are some missing highways and this seems like one of them. Not only would it be good for the U.S. but it is a direct connect to Canada and Mexico, witch is always a good thing.
A plan to incorporate a new passenger train route within the highway median of I-11 is something that should be avoided. Instead, there already exists freight rail tracks between downtown Phoenix & Parker, on the border with California. Which could serve as basis for a new passenger train route between Phoenix & Las Vegas. About 120 miles of new right-of-way would be required: 40 miles: Parker - Topock, then use an existing 12 mile BNSF segment & rail bridge over the Colorado River to Needles, CA. Then ~80 miles of new ROW to Boulder City, NV, + existing rail line continuing on to Las Vegas. Potentially using a new Brightline West passenger station scheduled to be built at the junction of I-15 & the Harry Reid Airport.
No. That railroad is continuously being used by freight traffic that would get the right of way over passenger traffic, thus rendering a passenger route on that line effectively useless.
@@thomasrinschler6783 Amtrak's SW Chief shares (on a daily basis) track usage on BNSF's "Southern Transcon" that runs parallel to I-40 between Needles, CA & ABQ, NM. Even if "that line" being referred to was continuously filled with freight traffic, that ROW would still be better than using an I-11 median for passenger trains. Just build a dedicated 2nd rail alongside, if the expense could be justified. Amtrak is, by law, entitled to have priority over freight traffic, although they are extremely timid in enforcing that aspect.
They built I-93 in NH thru Franconia Notch State Park and caused the Old Man in the Mountain to collapse after exisiting thousands of years. Leave Saguaro NP alone and keep interstates away from parks. Enough already. Beside, it serves no purpose to bypass Tucsan so use the existing corridor. I wish you had spoken more about what needs to be done between Wickenburg and Nevada, which is what is needed.
Tucson resident here, and the plan to go around Tucson is just awful. A total waste of time and money. Unlike a city like Phoenix, our freeways are not used much for commuting within the city. In addition, the interstate portions north of the city are already being expanded in a way that should handle any added traffic. If you look at the map of that portion vs the Phoenix portion, you can see that the Phoenix portion still has multiple corridors to link up to it in logical and useful ways, while the Tucson portion is so detached from the proposal that goes around the city that it may as well not exist. It's a lot of added costs, a significant environmental concern, and it really doesn't help anybody. Outside of long haul truckers, there are not going to be a significant number of people trying to go from Nogales to Las Vegas, and I question if the truckers even want that route as an option when they already face low traffic and well known truck stops on the existing I-10
I definitely think I-11 has a better chance of going through Boise instead of Bend, due to the metro area growing and is projected to hit at least 1 million people by 2030. After Boise, I-11 would be concurrent with I-84 until I-82, where it would serve the Tri cities, including Yakima, to I-90. North of I-90 I-11 could use the US-97 or US-2 to US-395 corridor.
I-11 would be THE poster child for super-duper porky and absolutely unnecessary Interstate highways if I-14 had never been proposed. All they needed was to add a few bypasses to US 93, like that around Boulder City, as well as adding alternating passing lanes to some of the 2-lane sections. I spent more than a decade regularly driving around this region and the "problem" they are trying to "solve" ceased to exist after they built the Hoover Dam bypass. Bear in mind that NO freeway has EVER truly been "completed" in America. Each foot of freeway they build represents an eternal maintenance burden in excess of other surface transportation modes and roads.
The I-11 route proposed through Washington would be a godsend! Not having to cross the Cascades and onto Interstate 5 with all it's horrible traffic from Everett through Eugene, Oregon, would be great! Although the 2-lane roads/highways (395 for one) now in existence are well paved and relatively free of heavy traffic, an Interstate 11 trip would be marvelous. Just saying...
Do you know that we here in southern California used to have an interstate I-11 but someone didn't like that some of these highways were double digit and added more numbers to them. ( I-11 became I-110 and the I-7 became the I-710
Rather than looking at interstate highway development as improvements in transportation infrastructure, I see these projects as increasing land development potential for investors. These investors and city planners come together with eye to gain profit and enhance state, county, and city tax revenues. Enhancement of transportation infrastructure is merely deceptive marketing. What we get going forward is increased cost of maintenance of additional infrastructure, more tax increases, more commercial property to generate more sales tax revenue, and more residential development to bring more people to extract tax revenue from.
Looking at the route through Oregon and Washington, the existing highways are more than adequate for existing traffic levels. Concentrating on a few spots, such as a bypass for US97 in the Bend area, would make more sense.
We know how to build Intercity rail now. On new and upgraded corridors, it can be either public or privately run. I think Brightline or Amtrak could do well running a service here, if the corridor was built for 125 miles an hour
Need a interstate between reno and Spokane due to the amount of industry out in Eastern Oregon and Washington state Similarly to between reno and Las Vegas Lot of alfalfa and other food crops along us95 and us395
I don't see the Tucson portion happening for a long time. This is a pretty highway-adverse town. And as someone who lives in Three Points I'm not sure I want a highway stretching the western side. Albeit it would be a good diagnal shortcut going south. Currently we already have county road stretching the northern section from 86 to I-10. Having a direct highway connection with Phoenix though would be very convenient. And maybe the terminus area at the junction of 86 would finally get things like a real grocery store instead of just Dollar General.
It's excellent and badly needed. The interstate system was designed in the mid 1950's. Since then, the West has grown tremendously but only I-5 runs up and down the West. I11 is needed to support the amount of traffic that that route now has.
There is really no need for an additional interstate south of the Phoenix Metro to Tucson, although an additional route between the 10 and the 8 would be somewhat handy. The greatest need is from Wickenburg up to Kingman. Rip out the roundabouts and bring 93 up to interstate standards would be great. Even just a 2nd roadbed so we had separated traffic. A good chunk is 1 lane each way.
I’m normally against the construction of new freeways, and actually in favor of tearing some of them down, but as an Arizonan who frequently visits Vegas, this is the one exception. The current drive between Phoenix and Vegas shouldn’t take anywhere near as long as it does, especially considering the size and economic impact of both cities. High speed rail between them is needed, too.
Its kinda impressive on how fast they built the currently stretch of I-11. I went to Las Vegas back in June 2014 and there was no indication of any construction that was to occur. Only thing I saw was the future I-11 sign along US 93 after it goes over the Hoover Dam.
The proposed Tucson bypass won't ever get built because of public outcry. The valley west of Tucson has a zoo and botanical garden called the Arizona, Sonora, Desert Museum. It is cherished by everybody in the area, and having a freeway ruin the vistas seen from the zoo is something that nobody is going to allow. I think the state realizes that because they have been widening I-10 and building larger, better, interchanges on it.
If they build this. It makes sense too. Maybe they should build high speed railroad track in between the Northwest/Southeast interstate. Tesla battery charging stations. Train station rest stop combinations.
Last time I checked, I-11 will replace I-515 and US95 until Kyle canyon road. GPS is confirming it. From there they will continue the route until Mercury. Why they're doing this is beyond me but they're working on a bypass around Indian Springs. Next step is to take it to NV 160 to the north route into Pahrump.
I've been through that area and yes it seems to take a hodge podge of roads to go anywhere. I live in Washington State. It seems like the federal government ran out of money or just plain gave up on us along the west cost.
I've been traveling this route since the 80's. My favorite part is Nothing, nothing burned down in the 90's, so they rebuilt nothing, but it's not the same, so you have less of Nothing. My name is Bicycle Bob and I approved this message.
I love Nothing, I owned a piece of it for one day! That area is divided highway. Arizona has continued to work on building divided highway from Vegas to Phoenix but there are still major gaps. I-11 would be great but continuing building divided highway from Wikieup to Phoenix would be better now.
We live between Hoover dam and Kingman and the hwy 93 is in terrible condition full of potholes and non maintained. The truck traffic has tripled since the opening of the hover dam bridge. And very little maintenance. It is in horrible shape and everyone drives way over the speed limit causing multiple accidents on daily basis. Something needs to be done about it.
