A proposed Interstate 11 corridor that would pass through western Buckeye moved a step forward this month as Arizona lawmakers approved a bill aimed at advancing the long-delayed project.
The Arizona House of Representatives passed House Bill 2601, directing the Arizona Department of Transportation to continue work on a key segment of the proposed highway between Interstate 10 near Casa Grande and Wickenburg.
That stretch includes the portion long eyed to run through Buckeye, cutting through farmland south past Maricopa and then on to the Mexico boarder at Nogales.
The bill requires ADOT to request federal segmentation of that portion of the project and complete environmental reviews and approvals. Once federal approval is granted, the agency must begin the next phase of environmental and engineering study within three months.
The move keeps momentum alive for a project that has remained largely in planning for more than a decade.
In 2024, Pima County supervisors unanimously opposed a southern segment of the corridor through Avra Valley over environmental concerns. But the western Pinal County route, including the stretch near Maricopa, remained under consideration.
Maricopa city officials said in January that Interstate 11 could begin moving forward despite ongoing litigation and said it could eventually give residents faster access to the West Valley while serving as a truck bypass route around I-10.
The same House Republican press release also pointed to other transportation priorities the caucus says it supports, widening State Route 347 in Pinal County.
If ultimately built, Interstate 11 is intended to serve as a north-south corridor linking Nogales, Tucson, Phoenix and Las Vegas with long-term value for regional connectivity, freight movement and economic activity.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
