NOGALES, Ariz. - There’s a safety—-and a business boost on the way for a busy road in Nogales.
Governor Doug Ducey was part of the kick off for badly needed improvements on the main road from Arizona’s busiest cargo port.
State Road 189 is thick with truck traffic. ADOT says 15 to 18 hundred trucks per day bring cargo from Mexico to Nogales produce houses and other industry.
To move more cargo and deliver more safety, ADOT’s starting on 134 million dollars worth of widening, ramps and roundabouts between I-19 and the port.
Nogales High School is along SR 189. The project will add large ramps to carry traffic well past the school and keep it from tangling with school traffic.”
Jaime Chamberlain chairs the Nogales Port Authority and he’s a major produce shipper.
He says, “This is absolutely fantastic. I’m ecstatic. This has been a combination of a lot of different state and Federal and local entities that have come together. It’s a ten year work of passion for us and to be honest with you the most important thing is the safety aspect.”
Governor Ducey likes how the project will unclog a major business artery.
“Arizona is the number one trading partner for Mexico and this allows us to compete and defeat places like Texas and California and it’s time we’re investing more in infrastructure.”
Nogales Mayor Arturo Garino likes the safety improvement and how the wider road will make the most of the recent expansion at the port.
We went though the whole process and said okay now we have 12 lanes coming across, we’re going to need State Road 189.”
Plans call for the road work to happen fast—-a year and a half from start to finish.
