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TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Pima County has released updated recommendations for the proposed Interstate 11 project, warning that a route through Avra Valley could carry environmental impacts beyond what current data reflects.
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The Federal Highway Administration’s I-11 project would connect Mexico to Canada and run 280 miles through Arizona.
Two routes would pass through Pima County: a west option through Avra Valley and an east option running parallel to Interstate 10.
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The FHA conducted an environmental impact statement on the two routes in 2021. Following concerns from Avra Valley residents, Pima County officials, and wildlife conservationists.
Then, a 2025 court ruling required the administration to re-evaluate that statement, finding the original did not examine the full picture.
Kris Gade, director of Pima County’s Conservation Lands and Resources Department, said the west option runs through undeveloped land, which creates a data imbalance when compared to the more developed east option.
“They’re comparing an area that’s very developed to an area that’s not developed at all. Using existing data, there’s much more data available for the developed area,” Gade said.
In its update, the county is urging the FHA to account for that disparity in its re-evaluation.
“If you just counted the number of known impacts on one versus the other, the undeveloped area would end up looking like there would be fewer impacts. But we don’t actually know that,” Gade said.
The west option would run through the Sonoran Desert, Tucson Mountain Park, and Saguaro National Park.
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Kate Hotten, co-executive director of the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, said the area is critical for both wildlife and water resources.
“That is one of the most pristine areas left in the county. It is very important for wildlife connectivity, it’s very important for our drinking water,” Hotten said.
Hotten said an interstate through the area could restrict animal movement.
“We’re looking at a risk of total ecological collapse, frankly, in the Tucson Mountains,” Hotten said.
Avra Valley resident Kolton Willhoite, whose family has lived in the area for decades, said he is concerned about what development along a new interstate could mean for the community.
“Then you’re gonna have big companies like McDonald’s and all them built stuff out here, and that’s gonna take business away from the family businesses that thrive on the small communities out here,” Willhoite said.
Gade said the county’s position has not changed — it remains opposed to an interstate through the area.
The county’s conservation land information will be incorporated into the FHA’s upcoming re-evaluation. Gade said public comment will likely open later this fall once that process is complete.
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