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Resident warns county against costly Davis Road expansion tied to planned port of entry
Summary
A local resident told supervisors the county could be left to shoulder maintenance and land-seizure costs if the county widens 23 miles of Davis Road to serve a future commercial port of entry, and recommended prioritizing existing state highway corridors instead.
Cody Esarey addressed the Cochise County Board of Supervisors during the Jan. 7 call-to-the-public period to urge caution about a long-range county plan to widen approximately 23 miles of Davis Road from Highway 191 to Highway 80 into a four-lane divided route intended to serve commercial traffic from a planned commercial port of entry in Douglas.
Esarey said the county does not have the funds to complete the full rebuild, that large sections of Davis Road lack shoulders and routinely flood during the monsoon season, and that the project would likely require extensive easement purchases or government-directed land seizures affecting legacy ranchers along the route. He said the county could be responsible for maintenance and repair costs while waiting to secure state or federal funding for the remainder of the roadway.
Esarey suggested using an existing state highway corridor (Highway 191) that already carries commercial traffic and would be simpler to improve, and he raised concerns about routing heavy commercial traffic through the downtown areas of Tombstone, the St. David school zone, and 4th Street in Benson.
No board action was taken at the meeting; the speaker asked the board to consider the concerns and prioritize alternatives that protect taxpayers and local communities.
