Carson City Freeway progress, Summer 2014 w/Summer 2016 update

[Max Rockatansky]

Looks like I'll miss the walk/bike event by a week since I'll be in the area on the 29th.  That would have been cool to run (legally) a brand new freeway.

And flaroads is going to miss it by a week as well. He inquired about it and the event includes the entire length of the new section, meaning you could "clinch" it all on foot or bike.

Been working on some needed Nevada page updates on the site, and read that NDOT plans to open the last section of I-580 to traffic during the first week of August.

Did they have a specific date for August yet?   Kinda sucks to miss not only the run/walk/bike but also the grand opening to vehicle traffic.

Surprisingly I haven't hit Nevada this year at all, this will be the first foray coming up...albeit in a small portion.  I'll be clinching NV 207 this trip and like photo clinching the "Loneliest" section of US 50 in October.

[gonealookin]

Looks like I'll miss the walk/bike event by a week since I'll be in the area on the 29th.  That would have been cool to run (legally) a brand new freeway.

And flaroads is going to miss it by a week as well. He inquired about it and the event includes the entire length of the new section, meaning you could "clinch" it all on foot or bike.

Been working on some needed Nevada page updates on the site, and read that NDOT plans to open the last section of I-580 to traffic during the first week of August.

Did they have a specific date for August yet?   Kinda sucks to miss not only the run/walk/bike but also the grand opening to vehicle traffic.

Surprisingly I haven't hit Nevada this year at all, this will be the first foray coming up...albeit in a small portion.  I'll be clinching NV 207 this trip and like photo clinching the "Loneliest" section of US 50 in October.

There's no specific date set yet.  It would be announced on the NDOT Press Releases page.  I don't imagine they'll be certain until several days before they're ready to go.  I'll be taking my bike down next Saturday for the ride.

[ZLoth]

Planning a hotel stay and being there for the 22nd.

[roadfro]

For the last Carson City Freeway section opening (US 50 to Fairview), I hadn't seen a freeway opening date before going to the community fun run event. At the event, they threw up the opening date on the DMSs...

Maybe they'll do that again this time? I'm planning to go to the event as well.

[gonealookin]

Unfortunately, my construction photos from 2014 and 2016 from the first page of the thread have been lost forever, but here are some shots from today's NDOT walk/run/bike event.



That whole "drive onto the freeway and park in the left lane" thing looked like a pain in the rear.  I parked a bit off the freeway and rode my bike from there and was glad I did.  Note that the VMS is blank, so roadfro's idea of revealing the opening date that way didn't happen.



Those views of Jobs Peak and Freel Peak from the sweeping curve at the southeast corner of Carson City are the scenic highlight of this stretch.  That looks very nice right after a snowstorm.  There is still a little bit of smoky haze from the Mariposa CA fire but nowhere near what we had earlier in the week.



It's not very scenic through the sunken stretch along the east side of town; feels like driving down a bowling alley.



Mileposts reference I-580 starting from the south junction of I-580/US 50/US 395



...however the exit numbers reference US 395, starting from the south entrance from California at Topaz Lake.



This is the only Clearview you will see.



Artwork representing a Basque sheepherder.  The posts are supposed to be tree trunks and they don't quite work for me.



I'm not sure where they intend on installing this eagle sculpture but it's pretty nice.



That "Freeway Ends" sign will be there for quite some number of years.



The last few hundred yards of the southbound lanes are concrete, because of all the trucks that will be coming to a stop for the light there.



Reward yourself with some free NDOT swag!

[myosh_tino]

The Californian in me just can't get used to seeing 580 signed as a North-South freeway... LOL 

Also, Series B on the I-580 route shield?!?  IIRC, the shields on the already-opened sections of 580 all use the more standard Series D numerals.

[ZLoth]

Was there this morning, took a road video, drove down to make it home to work on time at 2 PM.

[Alex]

I'm not sure where they intend on installing this eagle sculpture but it's pretty nice.

Found this out while doing research to update the I-580 page on Interstate-Guide last week. I haven't updated the photos yet, but the write-up is done.

Carson City Bypass to open first week in August

The prize decoration he said, will be the metal sculpture of an eagle with wings held high – some six feet tall and weighing more than 800 pounds – that will soon take its tree-shaped, concrete roost at the south end of the freeway. The eagle brings to the new terminus of the freeway the same metal eagle symbol that has adorned the north end of the bypass at Arrowhead Drive for a decade now.

[nexus73]

The Californian in me just can't get used to seeing 580 signed as a North-South freeway... LOL 

Also, Series B on the I-580 route shield?!?  IIRC, the shields on the already-opened sections of 580 all use the more standard Series D numerals.

Try 101 as an E/W route on the north side of the Olympic Peninsula!

Rick

[Max Rockatansky]

That really looked like a fun event, sucks that I missed out.  I'll try to grab some stuff while I'm in Carson City next Saturday but it obviously isn't going to top being able to walk/bike/run the freeway.

[roadfro]

I was there today as well. Walked 6 miles taking it all in and getting some pics.

I'll comment more later.

[myosh_tino]

Try 101 as an E/W route on the north side of the Olympic Peninsula!

Rick

Yep, that would be just as odd. 

[Gulol]

Some great pics ... thanks for sharing and for the road opening update!

[sparker]

Artwork representing a Basque sheepherder.  The posts are supposed to be tree trunks and they don't quite work for me.

They should have at least painted the columns brown -- or simply pre-colored the concrete mix to achieve the same result. 

[vdeane]

Depends on the type of tree.

[gonealookin]

Right, they are supposed to be birch trees.  But, at best, they are decapitated birch trees.  I didn't think they looked very good from a short distance at bicycle speed, and at 65 mph I think it will be a case of "what are those poles doing there?".

[sparker]

Right, they are supposed to be birch trees.  But, at best, they are decapitated birch trees.  I didn't think they looked very good from a short distance at bicycle speed, and at 65 mph I think it will be a case of "what are those poles doing there?".

Right -- it's an abstraction that doesn't really work!  Wonder how long after the freeway's opening that comments about the "weird poles" will start coming in to local papers or even NVDOT!

[gonealookin]

I don't see a press release yet, but it looks like we now have an opening date.

The Nevada Department of Transportation is scheduled to open the last leg of the Interstate 580 Carson City Freeway to traffic beginning Wednesday, August 2.

Beginning as early as 10 a.m. August 2, access from the southern end of the freeway will be open and drivers will be able to travel the southern three miles of freeway which has been under construction since June 2015. As part of a phased opening, the new freeway ramps between Fairview Drive at the northern end of the new Carson City Freeway will open later that afternoon or on August 3.

[Alex]

Opening this morning:

https://twitter.com/nevadadot/status/892753356120219648

Another preview of the new section:

https://twitter.com/nevadadot/status/892762201504718848

[myosh_tino]

I find it interesting that the final phase of the project, constructing the interchange at 50/395 south of Carson City, probably won't be built for another decade.  Granted the current setup, using a signal to control the intersection, should be more than sufficient for quite some time.

[Kniwt]

The Reno Gazette-Journal has posted dashcam video of the new segment, but northbound only (thus missing the Sierra views):

http://www.rgj.com/videos/news/2017/08/04/its-finally-done-take-drive-completed-carson-city-freeway/104298882/

[Bobby5280]

I find it interesting that the final phase of the project, constructing the interchange at 50/395 south of Carson City, probably won't be built for another decade.  Granted the current setup, using a signal to control the intersection, should be more than sufficient for quite some time.

I wonder what kind of interchange will be built or is being planned. I don't know if there is quite enough room at the US-50/US-395/I-580 intersection to build a fully directional freeway to freeway interchange. But could make a good case for short freeway upgrades along both US-50 and US-395.

A US-50 improvement would only need to go a mile beyond the current end of I-580, just to get freeway traffic to clear that big intersection efficiently. It's not practical to upgrade US-50 all the way to Lake Tahoe due to all the existing scenic overlooks. But certain intersections, like US-50 and NV-28 could probably be turned into freeway style interchanges.

One could make a good case for extending I-580 a few miles farther South along US-395. There is a good amount of commercial and residential development growth there. US-395 has enough ROW to be upgraded into a freeway (exept for a couple of tight spots, such as a trailer park just South of Plymouth Drive). Ultimately I could see a freeway bypass for Minden and Gardnerville.

US-395 is mostly a 2 lane road from Gardnerville down to the California border. Even if I-580 is carrying exit numbers that coincide with the distance to Topaz Lake I just don't see I-580 getting extended that far. And then there's the more long term issue of any possible extension of I-11 North from Las Vegas. There is no "elegant" or easy way to get I-11 into the Reno & Carson City area thanks to 2 large mountain ranges between the US-95 and US-395 corridors.

[oscar]

A US-50 improvement would only need to go a mile beyond the current end of I-580, just to get freeway traffic to clear that big intersection efficiently. It's not practical to upgrade US-50 all the way to Lake Tahoe due to all the existing scenic overlooks. But certain intersections, like US-50 and NV-28 could probably be turned into freeway style interchanges.

US 50 is already almost freeway, most with a continuous concrete divider, west to Spooner Summit, which is most of the way to NV 28. There's a kind of interchange at Golf Course Rd. (really two RIROs connected by an underpass), and an at-grade intersection with only the westbound lanes of US 50 before the summit.

As someone caught in last Friday afternoon's getaway traffic from I-580 south to US 395, with lots of traffic coming south from downtown Carson City on Business US 395 as well, I would welcome some kind of interchange sooner rather than later. At least US 50 traffic wouldn't have to wait for a stoplight, and get in the way of SB 395 and Business 395 traffic.

[myosh_tino]

I find it interesting that the final phase of the project, constructing the interchange at 50/395 south of Carson City, probably won't be built for another decade.  Granted the current setup, using a signal to control the intersection, should be more than sufficient for quite some time.

I wonder what kind of interchange will be built or is being planned. I don't know if there is quite enough room at the US-50/US-395/I-580 intersection to build a fully directional freeway to freeway interchange. But could make a good case for short freeway upgrades along both US-50 and US-395.

The future 580/395/50 interchange is supposed to be a SPUI with US 395 traffic having to negotiate the signal lights.

[gonealookin]

I find it interesting that the final phase of the project, constructing the interchange at 50/395 south of Carson City, probably won't be built for another decade.  Granted the current setup, using a signal to control the intersection, should be more than sufficient for quite some time.

I wonder what kind of interchange will be built or is being planned. I don't know if there is quite enough room at the US-50/US-395/I-580 intersection to build a fully directional freeway to freeway interchange. But could make a good case for short freeway upgrades along both US-50 and US-395.

The future 580/395/50 interchange is supposed to be a SPUI with US 395 traffic having to negotiate the signal lights.

The SPUI is the formal plan, but Minden and Gardnerville have room to grow and there are some plans for growth to happen down there.  I think the SPUI will be an obsolete idea in 10 years, and we'll have at minimum a flyover ramp from southbound 580 to southbound 395; there's definitely space available to do that.