Interstate 11 alignment, though Vegas and points north

[roadfro]

^ Thanks for that link Andy. I hadn't heard about that decision.

I recall some speculation that if I-11 was routed in the US 95 corridor, they ought to try and find a way to link it with I-580/US 395 via Carson City. But if the point now is to try and make it serve the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, a link somehow via US 95 Alt will be better.

[vdeane]

It's going to end up in "nowhere Canada" no matter where they put it.  Are they seriously still considering that pipe dream of building an interstate in the middle of nowhere where traffic counts will never even justify four lanes let alone a freeway?  The only plus I can think of is that it will be a really good example to use against any argument along the lines of "US 11 doesn't have enough traffic for an interstate from Watertown to Plattsburg".

[Pete from Boston]

They're going to have to build some towns out there to house the people that... do anything along that route. 

[roadfro]

They're going to have to build some towns out there to house the people that... do anything along that route.

There's towns along there already. Whether there's a whole lot of people in some of them is another question.

[Pete from Boston]

They're going to have to build some towns out there to house the people that... do anything along that route.

There's towns along there already. Whether there's a whole lot of people in some of them is another question.

I have honestly only driven the part concurrent with US-6.  Apart from Tonopah, the only named place I recall looked like the inhabitants had walked away at least a decade prior. So I'm extrapolating off that somewhat limited experience, perhaps incorrectly.

[roadfro]

They're going to have to build some towns out there to house the people that... do anything along that route.

There's towns along there already. Whether there's a whole lot of people in some of them is another question.

I have honestly only driven the part concurrent with US-6.  Apart from Tonopah, the only named place I recall looked like the inhabitants had walked away at least a decade prior. So I'm extrapolating off that somewhat limited experience, perhaps incorrectly.

Understandable assumption, especially if your travel took you along US 6 and not US 95.

The main towns along US 95 north of Las Vegas and before you turn off towards Reno include: Indian Springs (site of Creech AFB, state prisons not too far away), Beatty (Nevada gateway to Death Valley NP), Tonopah (biggest town near many central Nevada mining sites, and parts of Nevada test site), Hawthorne (US Army Depot), Schurz, and Fallon (US Naval Air Station). There's a few other smaller towns which I didn't mention.

[mgk920]

I found this article: http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/nevada/nevada-board-picks-us-95-i-11-corridor

All roads don't lead to Tesla, but Interstate 11 apparently will.

The Nevada Department of Transportation board voted Monday to designate U.S. Highway 95 as the proposed route for the future interstate between Las Vegas and I-80.

State transportation leaders said they were picking U.S. 95 over U.S. 93 in part because of growing industrial development in northwestern Nevada, including Tesla battery factory announced last week.

Another big factor in the decision is where the interstate is likely to go after it leaves Nevada. Following U.S. 95 directs I-11 toward "megapolitan regions"  of California and the Pacific Northwest, said Sondra Rosenberg, who is heading up NDOT's work on the project.

By contrast, an eastern route along U.S. 93 could steer I-11 through small cities in Idaho and Montana on its way to what one audience member bluntly called "nowhere Canada."

I agree on that routing logic, with my thoughts including having it cross over to supplant I-580 in the Reno-Carson City area, to ultimately follow US 395 towards Oregon and Washington, perhaps to continue via US 97 through Bend, OR to connect with I-82 at Toppenish, WA, then replacing I-82 from there to I-90 at Ellensburg, WA.

Mike

[cheungd]

I don't think California will ever support the routing of I-11 over their northern section of US 395.

[kkt]

I am not seeing a logical route from Las Vegas to the end of I-580 south of Carson City.  Turn on terrain view and you'll see lots of mountain ranges running SW-NE.  It could be routed along NV 266, NV 264, US 6, and CA 120 to meet US 395 near Mono Lake, but that would require a partnership with California.  The fastest and least grade route is up Alt US 95 to near Lahontan Reservoir and then west on US 50 to Carson City.

There's minimal need for interstate north of Las Vegas and even less need for interstate north of Reno.  Maybe Nevada is silly enough to build it anyway, or has few enough other needs, but California, Oregon, and Washington won't.

[english si]

Go via Yerrington and Wellington - a little twisty, perhaps, but avoids the need for CA to get involved.

[kkt]

Go via Yerrington and Wellington - a little twisty, perhaps, but avoids the need for CA to get involved.

Via Yerington, Lahontan Reservoir, and US 50 is 434 miles.  Via Yerington and Wellington is 442 miles.  So via Lahontan Reservoir requires less construction, a faster trip LV-CC, and a faster trip LV-Reno compared to via Wellington.  Even if you built I-11 via Wellington, people wouldn't take it; the 2-lane roads are about as fast as interstates in rural Nevada, so they'd take the shorter road.

[mgk920]

Howabout a routing slightly south of Yerrington?  Going over maps and aerial images, there looks to be a potentially useful pass that diverges from US 95 about 2-3 minutes north of the north shore of Walker Lake.  I wonder if it would be useful for such a road, if it ever became reality.

Mike

[NE2]

This seems to avoid the worst terrain.

Seriously, the alignment for this piece of pork is obvious: follow the valleys traversed by US 95 and the railroad, cutting the corner wherever it gives you wood. Yahwovah gave us these half-buried mountain ranges so we could build empty freeways through the sand-filled valleys, not over the ridges.

[english si]

Via Yerington, Lahontan Reservoir, and US 50 is 434 miles.  Via Yerington and Wellington is 442 miles.  So via Lahontan Reservoir requires less construction, a faster trip LV-CC, and a faster trip LV-Reno compared to via Wellington.  Even if you built I-11 via Wellington, people wouldn't take it; the 2-lane roads are about as fast as interstates in rural Nevada, so they'd take the shorter road.

1) 8 miles is sooo far when you are doing 54 times that distance anyway...
2) you are also serving Tahoe, Minden, etc with a route that comes in from the south rather than east - ditto more small towns than the US95
3) the OP said 'south of Carson City' not east - sure if you wanted CC with no specifics, go the way you said
4) though wouldn't CC be on a 3di, given US95Alt to I-80 would cut off more than 8 miles (I make it 12)? (likewise US95Alt is three miles longer to Reno than via US95/US50Alt - I guess that's a doable detour)

[Pete from Boston]

I'm going to back this up just a bit and ask for some helpful input from those with more insight than myself. What is the problem that exists for which the best solution is an interstate highway between Reno and Las Vegas?

[kkt]

I'm going to back this up just a bit and ask for some helpful input from those with more insight than myself. What is the problem that exists for which the best solution is an interstate highway between Reno and Las Vegas?

As far as I can tell, the problem Nevada construction contractors don't have enough money.

[Occidental Tourist]

This seems to avoid the worst terrain.

That's awesome.  Thanks for the laugh.

[gonealookin]

What is the problem that exists for which the best solution is an interstate highway between Reno and Las Vegas?

Reno is decently positioned geographically to become an alternate to Northern California as a commercial and industrial center, considering that the Bay Area is essentially built out and the housing prices and taxes over there present substantial obstacles for both companies and their employees.  If Tesla is leading a parade of new employers moving into the Reno area, I could see the Reno-Las Vegas route becoming important for freight transportation, given a 10 to 20 year time frame.  I-80 west of Reno becomes extremely vexatious in the winter months, while the US 95 corridor rarely has any weather issues.  A four-lane highway with just a few grade separations at places like Hawthorne and Tonopah ought to be sufficient, though.

The notion that a freeway from Reno to, say, Pendleton OR would ever be built is ludicrous.  If there is one corridor north of Reno where an upgrade makes sense, it would be the route up US 395 to Susanville, then following CA 36, 44 and 89 to link up with I-5 at Mt. Shasta City.  Any route east of there in northeastern California or northern Nevada can be served adequately by two-lane highways, forever.

[Pete from Boston]

A four-lane highway with just a few grade separations at places like Hawthorne and Tonopah ought to be sufficient, though.

This is where my mind is going.  This proposal makes it sound like Americans have reached the point where we can't travel long distances without an Interstate, even if there's an adequate road already.

[roadfro]

... What is the problem that exists for which the best solution is an interstate highway between Reno and Las Vegas?

I would say that there currently is no pressing traffic problem that requires an Interstate highway as the best solution.

As Congress lent its support and made the I-11 corridor official between Phoenix and Las Vegas, this has prompted study of where else this Interstate could go within the intermountain west region. There is currently a big void of north south Interstate highways between I-5 in California and I-15 in Utah (roughly 650-700 miles between those two along I-80). People are looking at connectivity with potential industry as well, which leads to freight mobility that could be enhanced by a north-south Interstate highway in the region.

... A four-lane highway with just a few grade separations at places like Hawthorne and Tonopah ought to be sufficient, though.

The notion that a freeway from Reno to, say, Pendleton OR would ever be built is ludicrous.  If there is one corridor north of Reno where an upgrade makes sense, it would be the route up US 395 to Susanville, then following CA 36, 44 and 89 to link up with I-5 at Mt. Shasta City.  Any route east of there in northeastern California or northern Nevada can be served adequately by two-lane highways, forever.

Even before the I-11 study began and extending that route north of Las Vegas was a concept for the Fictional Highways board, I frequently stated that a freeway north from Las Vegas along the US 95 corridor is wildly unnecessary. Even with I-11 gaining traction, I'm still skeptical of the need. Roughly half of the Vegas to Reno route probably sees traffic volumes of less than 10,000 vehicles per day, so it's really hard to justify even four-laning the route, much less making it a full-fledged freeway.

To justify the freight ideas, a proposed I-11 would likely need to hit pretty close to Silver Springs, to make it convenient to the south end USA Parkway and the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (where Tesla will locate) – right now, that complex only has access on the north end, so moving any goods south requires a detour. To hit Silver Springs means diverging from US 95 near Schurz and following US 95 Alt, then also figuring out whether it's better to cut over to Carson City/Reno via I-580 or taking a straight shot north towards Fernley and I-80.

[andy3175]

Even before the I-11 study began and extending that route north of Las Vegas was a concept for the Fictional Highways board, I frequently stated that a freeway north from Las Vegas along the US 95 corridor is wildly unnecessary. Even with I-11 gaining traction, I'm still skeptical of the need. Roughly half of the Vegas to Reno route probably sees traffic volumes of less than 10,000 vehicles per day, so it's really hard to justify even four-laning the route, much less making it a full-fledged freeway.

I-11 is an "if you built it they will come" concept, where I-11 can provide a (relatively) traffic free route between Mexico and Canada without having to use I-5 or pass through congested Southern California. The most useful stretch under current traffic volumes is obviously between I-17 and I-15 (Phoenix to Vegas, but for those aiming toward Portland and Seattle, I-11 would be the route to take. I think there's a thought that the I-11 corridor could reduce freight passing through San Diego and Los Angeles and instead go inland. But any highway construction of I-11 magnitude would have to be backed up with facilities that help push commercial freight traffic onto the corridor, and that might include more ports of entry from Mexico and have more commercial transfer yards. A rail corridor might find its way into the picture. Would freight handlers move from the I-5 corridor to I-11 to get items from Mexico to the Pacific Northwest? That remains to be seen. First someone has to find the money to build it!

[roadfro]

Would freight handlers move from the I-5 corridor to I-11 to get items from Mexico to the Pacific Northwest? That remains to be seen. First someone has to find the money to build it!

And NDOT certainly doesn't have the money to build it... They're struggling to find money to finance needed big money projects as it is... (i.e. Project Neon and the I-515 widening in Las Vegas, although I'm not sure that the I-515 project is even on the radar anymore...)

[andy3175]

The I-11 feasibility study was issued by ADOT and NDOT ... see http://i11study.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/I-11CCR_Report_2014-11-05.pdf

I provided a more thorough review on the Mountain West section of the Forum.

[The Ghostbuster]

MOD NOTE: This post (and subsequent posts from 1/18-28/2017) was originally made in reply to another post in the "I-11/US 93 - Boulder City Bypass" thread. This was done to combine general I-11 alignment thoughts/speculation/commentary to one thread, separated from the thread on a specific I-11 project already under construction. –Roadfro


If I had a vote, I'd vote that Interstate 11 follow the existing Interstate 515/US 93/US 95 corridor. To me, this makes more sense than sending it westward up 215, or building a new eastern freeway (which if necessary should be an extension of 215 IMHO).

[Bobby5280]

Where are they getting this idea that the "mountain west region" is going to add 32 million residents between now and 2030? What exactly makes up the "mountain west region?" For reference, the 2016 projected population of Texas is 28 million people and the same projections estimate 39 million residents in California. The 2016 projected population for Nevada is 2.86 million people. Arizona is currently projected to have 6.9 million residents.

Considering the high cost of living and lack of certain natural resources (like water), I sure wouldn't expect a population boom that would radically increase populations in those states. Nevada's population would have to multiply a few times over for such a high growth projection to be realized.