EDITORIAL: Interstate 11

What’s important enough to bring Democratic Sen. Harry Reid and Republican Sen. Dean Heller together? Interstate 11.

The planned link between Las Vegas and Phoenix ultimately will stretch south to the Mexican border and north through much of the rest of the Silver State. It’s a badly needed link for international trade and regional commerce in the growing Mountain West.

Arizona and Nevada are wrapping up a two-year study on the I-11 project, which received its first federal designation two years ago. As reported last week by the Review-Journal’s Steve Tetreault, Nevada’s senators are looking ahead to I-11’s eventual extension to Northern Nevada, and they hope to insert language into a federal highway bill that would formalize a corridor between Las Vegas and Reno.

Doing so wouldn’t lead to construction anytime soon — the entire project will take decades to fund and complete. But it would ensure that process starts sooner rather than later.

I-11 is vital to Nevada’s future economic growth. Kudos to Nevada’s senators for recognizing the project’s importance and pressing the issue in Washington.