Roadway connecting Arizona highway to new port of entry gains environmental clearance

PHOENIX — Plans for a roadway connecting a southern Arizona highway with a new port of entry have received final environmental clearance, officials announced Monday.
The new route will link State Route 80 with a commercial port of entry to be built in Douglas, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).
ADOT said the road project’s Environmental Assessment and Design Concept Report have been finalized.
The new port of entry is located about 4.5 miles west of the existing Raul Hector Castro Port of Entry in Douglas.

Construction on the port of entry is expected to start this fall and take three years, according to the U.S. General Services Administration.
ADOT said the port and road projects are designed to ease congestion in downtown Douglas while also making the area safer and more accessible.
What are the details of Arizona roadway project?
The new road will be built along James Ranch Road. Construction is set to begin in late 2026, with a 2028 projected opening date.
The final plan calls for a 1.4-mile, four-lane highway between the new port and SR 80 at an estimated cost of $49 million.
However, ADOT’s Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program allocates only $27 million for the project.
As a result, the new route will start as a divided highway with one lane in each direction and expand when additional funding is obtained.
ADOT has applied for federal grants and earmarks to cover the rest of the cost.
The project will include the reconstruction of 1 mile of SR 80 to help improve drainage. In addition, the intersection of SR 80 and James Ranch Road will be rebuilt to add turn lanes, a traffic signal and two roundabouts.
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