Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) this week praised the House of Representatives’ passage of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act for its ensured boost to Arizona’s highway infrastructure with new thoroughfares.

Both the Sonoran Corridor and the future Interstate 11 are supported by the measure, effectively allowing the state to develop significant international trade routes for the entire western part of the nation.

Initiated by McCain and Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and supported by Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) as the Sonoran Corridor Interstate Development Act of 2015 and the Intermountain West Corridor Development Act of 2015, the legislation became part of the Senate’s recent Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act.

The law designates the Sonoran Corridor as a future interstate connecting two roads south of Tucson’s airport, and provides for an I-11 roadway to run from Phoenix south to Arizona’s border with Mexico and north to I-80 and past Las Vegas, opening up significant trade routes to the American Northwest.

“These measures would enable Arizona to become a key part of an international trade route that reaches all the way to the southern border, driving economic growth statewide,” McCain said. “I thank the House for including these critical measures and look forward to seeing them signed into law as part of a long-term transportation bill.”

Among other benefits, construction of the Sonoran Corridor will alleviate congestion in Tucson by rerouting freight vehicles that would otherwise remain forced to pass through the city en route to destinations using I-10.

As well as saving commercial truckers mileage and time, the Sonoran Corridor will host the planned Aerospace Parkway adjacent to Tucson International Airport, opening up the potential for dynamic growth in manufacturing and logistics in the Southwest.