I-11 justification study draft released

An itital draft of the justification study for Interstate 11 to connect Las Vegas and Phoenix was released July 2 and open for public comment, Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman Damon Hodge said Monday.

The corridor justification report is part of a two-year I-11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study led by the Nevada and Arizona departments of transportation. The draft states that the corridor "will present new opportunities for travel, trade, tourism and economic development."

"The report concludes that further study of the I-11 and Intermountain West Corridor, which received a congressional designation in June 2012 and is being planned as a multimodal corridor, is indeed justified and is necessary to enhance transportation infrastructure, economic development and global trade opportunities," NDOt said in a statement.

 The report can be found at i11study.com.

Release of the report comes as the City Council is preparing to hear an update Tuesday on the progress of the Boulder City Bypass, which would be part of I-11.

Nevada Department of Transportation will give a presentation on the first phase of the bypass currently under construction. The Regional Transportation Commission will give an update on the second phase. The $330 million second phase has yet to be funded.

The public comment period on the justification study runs through July 26, with the report scheduled to be finalized in August. The initial overall study on I-11 is schedule to be completed early 2014.

"As the I-11 concept takes shape and support strengthens for the project among the public, policymakers and stakeholders, the needs for a new corridor have become clear," Hodge said. "The population of the western United States is rapidly growing, global trade is expanding and transportation infrastructure is reaching capacity and is not expected to sustain future growth."

While initially connecting Las Vegas and Phoeniz, I-11 could expand north to Canada and south to Mexico