The plan to create a safety corridor from the Lukeville/Sonoyta border crossing to Puerto Peñasco (Highway 8) stems from one of the memorandums of understanding signed by Sonora Governor Claudia Pavlovich Arellano and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey at the Arizona-Sonora Commission held last November in Puerto Peñasco. In following up on this commitment, this week members from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) traveled to Puerto Peñasco to meet with local, state, and federal officials encompassing areas of public safety, health, tourism, and roads.
The meeting, mediated by Héctor Miguel Ruiz Arvizu, Deputy Secretary of Urban Development for SIDUR (Secretary of Infrastructure and Urban Development) included a framework of commitments from the various agencies from both sides of the border. He stressed this pilot program, which is the first initiative of its type between the U.S. and Mexico, is being carefully followed by fellow border states including New Mexico and Texas, and even Canada, as a guide to strengthen travel opportunities and awareness when traveling abroad by car.
Mark Sanders, ADOT Business Enterprise Manager and liaison for this initiative, highlighted Arizona’s strong interest in putting the Safety Corridor program in action. He emphasized an emergency training element of the program, which was to take place locally on Tuesday, Jan. 23rd, usually consists of groups of from 15-20 people. For the Tuesday course in Mexico, over 120 people from emergency, rescue, and public safety squads had already registered to take part.
The Highway 8 Safety Corridor Program, which foresees improved standardized signage in both English and Spanish, emergency assistance, a rest area, and ample training for safety crews, among other goals is set to roll out by March just as Spring Break travelers make their way to Puerto Peñasco’s beaches.
