NOGALES, AZ - Nogales has secured a new win for the produce industry. The Arizona State Transportation Board announced it will invest in a $134 million build-out and expansion of State Route 189, a major avenue for fresh produce, and The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA) is celebrating.

“The road improvement should speed roundtrip delivery from the port of entry to some warehouses by 20 minutes or more per truck, giving companies a valuable incentive to locate their operations in Nogales,” said Lance Jungmeyer, President of the Association.

SR 189, also known as Mariposa Road, is a main thoroughfare for trucks crossing the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales on their way to area warehouses, according to a press release. The project will be completed in two phases over the course of several years and will include enhancements to the entire length of SR 189, including adding a flyover ramp connecting SR 189 to I-19, which eliminates stoplights and left-hand turns that currently hamper movement of heavy trucks onto the interstate.

“This is the culmination of many years of hard work in unifying support from groups across Arizona about this important roadway,” Jungmeyer continued. “From Flagstaff to Phoenix to Tucson, communities were all talking about the importance of funding this much-needed expansion. We are always looking for ways to speed up the produce superhighway that is Nogales, and this funding is an important step in our continued success.”

Jungmeyer added that SR 189 is “the artery that drives our economy by facilitating the movement of trucks and passengers into and out of Arizona.”

“…we are excited about the positive benefits this will bring to our members in the form of faster, safer, more reliable deliveries to their warehouses. Ultimately this will be a major win for our customers and the end consumers because we will have faster deliveries of the fresh, high-quality produce that is synonymous with Nogales,” he concluded.

More information on the Arizona State Transportation Board project can be found on the group’s website here.

Also worth celebrating at FPAA is the promotion of Allison Moore to Vice President, who Jungmeyer said is extremely important to the industry.

“I am surrounded by intelligent, committed, passionate people that I get to work withon a daily basis, whether it’s coworkers, our members, peers in other trade associations, or government officials,” said Moore upon her appointment. “How can you beat working with and learning from so many people on issues ranging from local infrastructure projects to food safety to international trade? Solving problems and helping people are really the foundations of my job, and I love that.”

Congratulations to Nogales, FPAA, and Moore—all fabulous things to celebrate.

Fresh Produce Association of the Americas