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Project Overview
A
realignment study for State Route 95 (SR 95) is currently underway that will
ultimately define a new route from Interstate 40 (I-40) to State Route 68
(SR 68), between the Black Mountains to the east and the developed portions
of the Colorado River corridor to the west. Travelers on the existing SR 95
roadway between I-40 and Bullhead City experience high traffic volumes and
long delays. Although it was widened in 2000, SR 95 still functions as an
urban arterial roadway with many signalized intersections, numerous
driveways, and miles of sidewalks. Additionally, the existing SR 95 roadway
is not continuous in Arizona. The existing SR 95 alignment does not connect
between I-40 and Courtwright Road, pushing regional traffic onto local
roadways.
In
the mid-1990s, the Arizona Department of Transportation and Mohave County,
in consultation with the Bureau of Land Management, began discussing various
strategies for SR 95 with the primary goals to improve the transportation
system, enhance the safety of the traveling public and to better connect the
fast-growing Colorado River communities. ADOT and its stakeholder agency
partners are now developing a Location/Design Concept Report and
Environmental Impact Statement to help facilitate this goal.
The
vision for the realignment of SR 95 is to develop an access-controlled
highway that enhances regional travel. The primary goals of this study are
to improve the regional transportation system by:
Making this vision a reality would require a realignment of SR 95 north of
I-40 and continuing to SR 68 east of Bullhead City. Access along the new
highway would be limited to several interchange locations spaced
approximately three to five miles apart along the route, facilitating
regional traffic flow.
The proposed SR 95 project would relocate SR 95 to a new north-south
alignment located east of the current highway, primarily on BLM-administered
land. The study corridor is approximately 42 miles long, beginning
approximately 2 miles south of Interstate 40 and continuing north to SR 68.
In addition to the engineering evaluation of
alternatives that will be conducted for the L/DCR, an environmental study
will be conducted in accordance with NEPA requirements. NEPA requires
federal agencies to consider and disclose environmental impacts during the
decision-making process. Potential impacts of the proposed actions on
environmental, social and economic resources will be investigated and
reported in an EIS. At least two build alternatives and the no action
alternative will be evaluated in detail in the study.
The Draft EIS will be made available to the public for review once the
initial study results are in. Currently, the Study Team is gathering data on
the study corridor to identify potential constraints and issues. |
