Interstate 11 Updates, April/May 2017

Public Meetings

From http://www.azdot.gov/media/News/news-release/2017/04/20/six-public-meetings-planned-in-may-to-present-i-11-corridor-alternatives

During the first year of this three-year study that began in March 2016, ADOT evaluated a wide range of alternatives ‒ or possible routes ‒ in order to narrow the choices to the recommended range of reasonable alternatives to be evaluated further in the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement. These alternative corridor options will be available for review and comment at the public meetings and during a 30-day public comment period.
The final set of corridor options, which will be determined after the public comment period, will be subject to further analysis as part of the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement. A no-build option will also be evaluated...
The public comment period will begin on April 28. That’s when the latest study and meeting materials will be posted to the Interstate 11 website at i11study.com and an online mapping and comment tool will be activated. The comment period runs through June 2. The schedule for the six public meetings is here:
Tuesday, May 2
Arizona Riverpark Inn
777 W. Cushing St.
Tucson
Wednesday, May 3
Marana Middle School – cafeteria
11285 W. Grier Road
Marana
Thursday, May 4
Nogales High School – cafeteria
1905 N. Apache Blvd.
Nogales
Wednesday, May 10
Dorothy Powell Senior Adult Center – dining room
405 E. Sixth St.
Casa Grande
Thursday, May 11
Wickenburg Community Center
160 N. Valentine St.
Wickenburg
Tuesday, May 16
Buckeye Community Center – multipurpose room
201 E. Centre Ave.
Buckeye

Routes

The following was sent in an email from Albert Vetere Lannon:

http://i11study.com/Arizona/pdf/I-11_FactSheets_Spring2017.pdf

 

http://i11study.com/Arizona/Meetings.asp

 

Here are the materials posted on the i11study.com website late this afternoon (Friday); they are what will be presented at the public meetings.  If you open the “Meetings” link and scroll down, select the top right posterboard image, labeled “Reasonable Range of Build Corridor Alternatives Tier 1 Analysis.”

 

This shows three alternatives: the existing I-10 corridor (B) and two Avra Valley routes (C and D) which are close to each other and even overlap.  Note that C and D are “undergoing additional analysis,” which means they aren’t ready to talk much about them.  C and D both butt up against Saguaro Park, Ironwood, Tucson Mountain Park and the federal Bureau of Reclamation’s Wildlife Mitigation Corridor established when the CAP canal was built. 

 

This doesn’t show it (yet) but the County Administrator’s plan is to elevate the highway to deal with insufficient right-of-way.  (Note:  While Tier 1 looks at 2000 foot ROW corridors, they will actually need 400 feet to move forward – Sandario and Mile Wide does not give them that, hence the elevated idea.)

 

Alternative D gives the Tohono O’odham Nation a little more breathing space.

 

The fact that an I-10 alternative is still on the table is only because We, the People, have spoken out loud and clear opposing any Avra Valley route, although their materials do not reflect that; ADOT just tells us why we need I-11.

I-11 and Jobs

Albert Vetere Lannon also wrote this article recently:
Silence From Washington About Interstate 11 Jobs – In Mexico!   | Arizona Daily Independent

Another reason may be that I-11 is in sharp conflict with the stated goals of the national administration to bring American jobs home from other countries.  The “Final Purpose and Need Memorandum” justifying I-11, put online by ADOT February 28, 2017, continues its calls for “nearshoring” and “integrative manufacturing.”

 “Nearshoring” is attracting US companies from China to lower-wage Mexico.  “Integrative manufacturing” means R&D in the US with production and assembly in Mexico.  The Port of Guaymas is being expanded to steal shipping jobs from the West Coast.  Read it for yourself at I11study.com, click on Arizona and then on Reports.

It is important to point out that Trump's opposition to outsourcing jobs to Mexico is guided by (racist) nationalism and politics, not concern about workers. Even if he acknowledges NAFTA's negative impact on Mexican workers, his policy is not informed by this reality, and in fact is out of touch with the reality of American workers as well.

On the other hand, neoliberalism is not the proper response to nationalism. For further discussion on this, you might check out, if you haven't already, Arizona-Mexico Trade: Inroads to private gain, Part 2: Blowing Smoke and Part 3: Shifting Border Enforcement.