Around $20 million in federal funds have now been secured for the construction of a connector road that will link Arizona State Route 80 to the new Douglas Land Port of Entry.
The project, which has long been promoted by state and local leaders, is seen as a vital component in making the new commercial port of entry successful. That project is currently under construction.
In a statement, Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs characterized the new funding as a “win for Arizona.”
Continued Hobbs: “Cross-border commerce is vital to our state’s economy, and this new infrastructure will bolster trade and strengthen Arizona’s competitiveness.”
The connector project will be spearheaded by the Arizona Department of Transportation and will be made up of four lanes, two in both directions.
According to government documents, the project, now in the final design phase, will align with James Ranch Road and will also see the construction of new roadway drainage.
A design concept report compiled by the ADOT last year noted that a new port of entry is needed because the existing Raul Hector Castro Land Port of Entry, the second largest port of entry in Arizona, is no longer able to accommodate U.S. Customs and Border Protection requirements, not to mention the demands of increased traffic.
The new connector road, those same documents explain, is needed because “there is no all-weather roadway” existing between where the new port of entry will be located and State Route 80.
Work on the connector road project will most likely begin in 2027, while construction on the new port of entry is expected to be completed in the final quarter of 2028.
February 19, 2026
By Garry Boulard
Image courtesy of Arizona Department of Transportation
