Howard Fischer
PHOENIX — Gov. Katie Hobbs won’t use her power to direct the state Department of Transportation to scrap a proposal that could put a new interstate highway next to Tucson Mountain Park and through a special corridor set up to ensure wildlife migration.The governor told Capitol Media Services she is not surprised that environmental groups have taken the state to court over plans for Interstate 11 — and, specifically a controversial option on where to build a segment.”Every project is battling environmental groups,” she said.”We have to balance progress and sustainability,” the governor said following the announcement of a new Canada trade office in Arizona. The road is supposed to be part of a new link through the state between Mexico and Canada. “And we’re working really hard to do that.”But Hobbs balked when it was pointed out that ADOT continues to include that alternative west of Tucson, through the Avra Valley, when there is another option that doesn’t involve a new highway through the area: co-locate I-11 along existing stretches of Interstates 10 and 19.
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“I can get back with you with more specifics on it,” the governor promised.She never did. Instead, her press office directed ADOT to send out a response about the work being done and how that option through Avra Valley was — and remains — in the plan”Carrying both a west and an east option forward allows ADOT to make a more informed decision after completing detailed environmental and engineering studies in Tier 2,” the next phase of the plan. But beyond that, the agency said it cannot comment “due to ongoing litigation.”For the moment, that leaves in place the decisions about building the road that had been blessed by her predecessor, Doug Ducey, who had been a supporter of the highway.He told Capitol Media Services at the time that the highway would “really benefit our state and allow us to be the player that we’re going to be in terms of economic growth and development in trade.”But that doesn’t leave Hobbs powerless.The decisions, including that option through Avra Valley, was made under John Halikowski who was the ADOT director.Hobbs, on taking office last year, r …
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