CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (AP) — Legislation pending in Congress could give the proposed new Interstate 11 a boost.
The Casa Grande Dispatch reports that a transportation bill approved recently by the U.S. House would designate the entire proposed route of I-11 as a high-priority corridor.
The portion of I-11 between Las Vegas, Nevada, and Wickenburg, Arizona, already has that designation, but the bill would extend the designation south to the U.S.-Mexico border and north to Reno, Nevada.
No funding is set aside for I-11, but Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona said the expanded designation of the route makes it eligible for federal resources.
Another provision would provide $4.5 billion a year to expanding the national freight network's capacity and reducing congestion.
The Arizona Department of Transportation is studying the project's environmental impact.