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I-11 to be signed from I-215 to AZ border

Started by Sub-Urbanite, September 09, 2017, 04:34:56 PM

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Sub-Urbanite

It makes less sense to pay several million dollars to re-number I-17 so that the numbering scheme can work

And Nevada is never going to support any "I-13"

Quote from: dvferyance on September 13, 2017, 06:04:19 PM
This number makes no sense. Should be part of I-17 or at least I-13.


ilpt4u

Quote from: dvferyance on September 13, 2017, 06:04:19 PM
This number makes no sense. Should be part of I-17 or at least I-13.
I-21  :D

Even if it would be slightly out of place grid-wise, it would be in the right place for an Interstate Route 21

I-11 isn't too bad. Hopefully it gets named the "Yo Freeway" or perhaps "Aces Freeway"

adventurernumber1

#27
I am a full supporter of Interstate 11, but only if it goes all the way to Reno. You may say I'm nuts, which I completely understand and respect, because I am aware that an interstate corridor from Las Vegas to Reno would receive, very, very low traffic counts. However, with me being a grid nazi, my justification is that by that happening, that is the only way that I-11 would correctly fit in the grid, and that I'm good with. In all likelihood, Interstate 11 will not find itself actually going to Reno anytime soon, if ever. But even with that in mind, I find myself still a strong supporter of I-11, with the lingering hope that the interstate will someday make it to Reno. At the very least, it would probably be good for Interstate 11 to replace all of Interstate 515 in Las Vegas. Even better, it could also be designated along the US 95 freeway past I-15 all the way through the rest of the Las Vegas area - if that happened I-11 would end up being safe in the grid, but just barely. This would be a good situation to remain at for a long time, with no numbering errors, until the day if/when Interstate 11 gets extended further through Nevada to Reno. Quite frankly, I really don't see the point in terminating I-11 at the I-515/I-215 interchange - it should at least make it to Interstate 15 - but hopefully this is just a temporary thing. Nevertheless, this is exciting news to me to hear that more action is being taken on creating Interstate 11.  :thumbsup:
Now alternating between different highway shields for my avatar - my previous highway shield avatar for the last few years was US 76.

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KeithE4Phx

#28
Quote from: Sub-Urbanite on September 13, 2017, 06:23:36 PM
It makes less sense to pay several million dollars to re-number I-17 so that the numbering scheme can work

And Nevada is never going to support any "I-13"

Quote from: dvferyance on September 13, 2017, 06:04:19 PM
This number makes no sense. Should be part of I-17 or at least I-13.

Not only would it be too costly, not to mention unnecessary, but ADOT has a policy about not dual-signing highways for long distances unless absolutely necessary (such as I-40/US 93 east of Kingman and I-10 & 17/US 60 from the Broadway Curve to Thomas Rd).  No way will I-17 be renumbered as I-19, duplexed with I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson.  That would be necessary if I-11 was to be renumbered as I-17.  The days of the US 60-70-80-89/AZ 93 multiplex from hell through metro Phoenix are long over.

All those pipe-dreams about I-11 being multiplexed with I-10 and/or I-19 are just that -- pipe dreams.  Unless it replaces SR 85 from I-10 to the border, there is zero need whatsoever for I-11 south of I-10, and I'll be shocked if it's ever built.  Central and southern AZ have other needs as far as freeways go, such as in Pinal County, where people actually live, as well as somehow convincing folks in Tucson that freeways are a good thing.  :-D

There's really little need for it south of I-40, although it will happen.  The 4-laning of US 93 is more than adequate for the traffic it carries.
"Oh, so you hate your job? Well, why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called "EVERYBODY!" They meet at the bar." -- Drew Carey

mrsman

Quote from: adventurernumber1 on September 14, 2017, 09:33:38 PM
I am a full supporter of Interstate 11, but only if it goes all the way to Reno. You may say I'm nuts, which I completely understand and respect, because I am aware that an interstate corridor from Las Vegas to Reno would receive, very, very low traffic counts. However, with me being a grid nazi, my justification is that by that happening, that is the only way that I-11 would correctly fit in the grid, and that I'm good with. In all likelihood, Interstate 11 will not find itself actually going to Reno anytime soon, if ever. But even with that in mind, I find myself still a strong supporter of I-11, with the lingering hope that the interstate will someday make it to Reno. At the very least, it would probably be good for Interstate 11 to replace all of Interstate 515 in Las Vegas. Even better, it could also be designated along the US 95 freeway past I-15 all the way through the rest of the Las Vegas area - if that happened I-11 would end up being safe in the grid, but just barely. This would be a good situation to remain at for a long time, with no numbering errors, until the day if/when Interstate 11 gets extended further through Nevada to Reno. Quite frankly, I really don't see the point in terminating I-11 at the I-515/I-215 interchange - it should at least make it to Interstate 15 - but hopefully this is just a temporary thing. Nevertheless, this is exciting news to me to hear that more action is being taken on creating Interstate 11.  :thumbsup:

Is the current freeway portion of US 95, west of I-15, interstate standard?

sparker

Quote from: KeithE4Phx on September 14, 2017, 11:06:33 PM
Quote from: Sub-Urbanite on September 13, 2017, 06:23:36 PM
It makes less sense to pay several million dollars to re-number I-17 so that the numbering scheme can work

And Nevada is never going to support any "I-13"

Quote from: dvferyance on September 13, 2017, 06:04:19 PM
This number makes no sense. Should be part of I-17 or at least I-13.

Not only would it be too costly, not to mention unnecessary, but ADOT has a policy about not dual-signing highways for long distances unless absolutely necessary (such as I-40/US 93 east of Kingman and I-10 & 17/US 60 from the Broadway Curve to Thomas Rd).  No way will I-17 be renumbered as I-19, duplexed with I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson.  That would be necessary if I-11 was to be renumbered as I-17.  The days of the US 60-70-80-89/AZ 93 multiplex from hell through metro Phoenix are long over.

All those pipe-dreams about I-11 being multiplexed with I-10 and/or I-19 are just that -- pipe dreams.  Unless it replaces SR 85 from I-10 to the border, there is zero need whatsoever for I-11 south of I-10, and I'll be shocked if it's ever built.  Central and southern AZ have other needs as far as freeways go, such as in Pinal County, where people actually live, as well as somehow convincing folks in Tucson that freeways are a good thing.  :-D

There's really little need for it south of I-40, although it will happen.  The 4-laning of US 93 is more than adequate for the traffic it carries.

It'll probably be built down to I-10 -- either via the long-planned Hassayampa corridor, which will tentatively intersect I-10 a bit west of the current I-10/AZ 85 interchange, or, if a more direct route into Phoenix itself is sought, then SE paralleling US 60 to Loop 303 before using that route to access I-10.  The whole concept of taking the Hassayampa option further southeast toward Casa Grande was to (a) provide an outer Phoenix bypass for itself as well as I-10, and (b) to expedite development of the territory south of Phoenix -- in other words, "infill" between Phoenix and Tucson, centered around Casa Grande.  The latter is speculative; the prospects for the former will likely depend upon how soon after completion the Loop 202 west extension, now under development, will become congested. 

Even then, an effective Phoenix bypass could be deployed simply by bringing AZ 85 out to Interstate standards, including a Gila Bend bypass; this would be the most cost-effective extension of I-11 -- provided, of course, that the Hassayampa River corridor option survives.  If by chance I-11 is returned to the US 60 alignment/trajectory, the extension to Casa Grande is deader than Elvis -- and AZ 85, if improved, would be designated as something else.

roadfro

Quick update, from a recent drive through the opened segment: The "End I-515" sign just south of exit 56 has been replaced with a "South I-11" sign. Other than that, there is no other I-11 signage in the field yet. This sign was likely replaced to show the public where the publicized 2-mile open section begins, and to correspond with what has been updated on Google Maps, et al.


Quote from: mrsman on September 15, 2017, 10:33:49 AM
Is the current freeway portion of US 95, west of I-15, interstate standard?

It's mostly Interstate standard. However, there are some limited areas at/through some interchanges (through the Rainbow Curve; SB between the Centennial Bowl and exit 90) where the right hand shoulder is not Interstate standard width.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

Sonic99

That ship sailed many years ago.

Quote from: dvferyance on September 13, 2017, 06:04:19 PM
This number makes no sense. Should be part of I-17 or at least I-13.
If you used to draw freeways on your homework and got reprimanded by your Senior English teacher for doing so, you might be a road geek!

Pink Jazz

Quote from: Sonic99 on September 17, 2017, 10:19:18 PM
That ship sailed many years ago.

Quote from: dvferyance on September 13, 2017, 06:04:19 PM
This number makes no sense. Should be part of I-17 or at least I-13.

Some have suggested combining the existing I-17 with I-19, with the combined route being known as I-19, with a concurrency with I-10 from Tucson to Phoenix.

KeithE4Phx

Quote from: Pink Jazz on September 18, 2017, 06:36:10 PM
Quote from: Sonic99 on September 17, 2017, 10:19:18 PM
That ship sailed many years ago.

Quote from: dvferyance on September 13, 2017, 06:04:19 PM
This number makes no sense. Should be part of I-17 or at least I-13.

Some have suggested combining the existing I-17 with I-19, with the combined route being known as I-19, with a concurrency with I-10 from Tucson to Phoenix.

As I said above, ADOT has a policy of not doing that unless absolutely necessary -- certainly not on a 120 mile stretch.  I-17 will not be renumbered, and nobody with the authority to do so is even thinking about it.
"Oh, so you hate your job? Well, why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called "EVERYBODY!" They meet at the bar." -- Drew Carey

Strider

Should have signed the whole thing I-11 from I-15 to where it ends currently.

Makes no sense to sign it I-515 and then I-11 after I-215 interchange. IMO.

roadfro

Quote from: Strider on September 18, 2017, 07:49:24 PM
Should have signed the whole thing I-11 from I-15 to where it ends currently.

Makes no sense to sign it I-515 and then I-11 after I-215 interchange. IMO.

Except that the it is not yet decided that I-11 will follow existing I-515 into downtown. Makes less sense to resign the entirety of I-515 now when not all of that route is certain to carry the number permanently.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

sparker

Quote from: roadfro on September 18, 2017, 10:04:06 PM
Quote from: Strider on September 18, 2017, 07:49:24 PM
Should have signed the whole thing I-11 from I-15 to where it ends currently.

Makes no sense to sign it I-515 and then I-11 after I-215 interchange. IMO.

Except that the it is not yet decided that I-11 will follow existing I-515 into downtown. Makes less sense to resign the entirety of I-515 now when not all of that route is certain to carry the number permanently.

Question: is the "missing" east-quadrant leg of the 215 belt being reconsidered at this point -- or is something farther out from the city center also under consideration?  And is there any active proposal to reroute I-11 along the under-development composite 215 beltway around the south and west side of Las Vegas?  I'd think that absent any of the above, the optimal solution for NDOT would be to consider applying to redesignate I-515 -- along with extending the I-11 designation over US 95 at least to the 215 interchange northwest of town.  If other notions crop up in the future, it can be dealt with at that point.  Designating I-11 through town would lend some credence to the whole corridor concept -- a continuous route serving a large portion of Las Vegas before depositing one onto the US 93 expressway in AZ (complete with "Future I-11 Corridor" signage to drive the point home).

If this is done -- and a bypass reroute does occur later -- the in-town US 95 routing could easily be renumbered as a x11!   

Sub-Urbanite

As I understand it, there are three corridors under consideration:

- One, using the existing southern and western 215 segments to US 95, then northward along 95.
- One, staying on the existing 95 alignment.
- One, on a new highway alignment on the east side of the city, then connecting to the northern segment of Highway 215, thence back to US 95.

sparker

Quote from: Sub-Urbanite on September 19, 2017, 07:59:59 PM
As I understand it, there are three corridors under consideration:

- One, using the existing southern and western 215 segments to US 95, then northward along 95.
- One, staying on the existing 95 alignment.
- One, on a new highway alignment on the east side of the city, then connecting to the northern segment of Highway 215, thence back to US 95.

Any maps or illustrations available regarding the potential alignments for the eastern option? 

GreenLanternCorps

Quote from: Sub-Urbanite on September 19, 2017, 07:59:59 PM
As I understand it, there are three corridors under consideration:

- One, using the existing southern and western 215 segments to US 95, then northward along 95.
- One, staying on the existing 95 alignment.
- One, on a new highway alignment on the east side of the city, then connecting to the northern segment of Highway 215, thence back to US 95.

Looking at a map, keeping I-11 on the I-215 corridor and up through 95 would be the direct route for I-11 traffic.  The East alignment should be a new x11 or x15 interstate, or part of an I-215 loop if feasible.

Which begs the question, why is 215 only marked as an interstate for a quarter loop and as a Nevada state route for the rest of it's path?

roadfro

#41
Quote from: sparker on September 19, 2017, 05:46:09 PM
Question: is the "missing" east-quadrant leg of the 215 belt being reconsidered at this point -- or is something farther out from the city center also under consideration?  And is there any active proposal to reroute I-11 along the under-development composite 215 beltway around the south and west side of Las Vegas?  I'd think that absent any of the above, the optimal solution for NDOT would be to consider applying to redesignate I-515 -- along with extending the I-11 designation over US 95 at least to the 215 interchange northwest of town.  If other notions crop up in the future, it can be dealt with at that point.  Designating I-11 through town would lend some credence to the whole corridor concept -- a continuous route serving a large portion of Las Vegas before depositing one onto the US 93 expressway in AZ (complete with "Future I-11 Corridor" signage to drive the point home).

If this is done -- and a bypass reroute does occur later -- the in-town US 95 routing could easily be renumbered as a x11!
Quote from: Sub-Urbanite on September 19, 2017, 07:59:59 PM
As I understand it, there are three corridors under consideration:

- One, using the existing southern and western 215 segments to US 95, then northward along 95.
- One, staying on the existing 95 alignment.
- One, on a new highway alignment on the east side of the city, then connecting to the northern segment of Highway 215, thence back to US 95.

The "missing east leg" of the 215 beltway is NOT being considered. There was a feasibility study done on an eastern beltway leg in the mid-2000s, but it was determined that this (no matter the alignment) would have had nearly a $1 billion price tag and the concept was abandoned. The high price tag would have been in large part due to right of way acquisition–the east side of the Las Vegas Valley was developed much earlier than the south/west/north, so the majority of an eastern beltway alignment would have been through existing developed land (whereas much of the constructed 215 right of way, especially along the west and north legs, was acquired prior to development reaching these areas).

The east alignment under consideration goes outside of the Las Vegas Valley, behind Sunrise & Frenchman Mountains through the Lake Mead NRA, around Nellis Air Force Base to reconnect to I-15, and comes back down to follow the north leg of the 215 over to US 95.


I haven't come across a nice, easily linkable photo of these options. If you go to the documents section of the www.i-11study.com website, the "Level 2 Evaluation Results Summary" gives illustrations of the alternatives under consideration in Nevada and Arizona.


Quote from: GreenLanternCorps on September 20, 2017, 08:44:46 AM
Looking at a map, keeping I-11 on the I-215 corridor and up through 95 would be the direct route for I-11 traffic.  The East alignment should be a new x11 or x15 interstate, or part of an I-215 loop if feasible.

Which begs the question, why is 215 only marked as an interstate for a quarter loop and as a Nevada state route for the rest of it's path?

If I-11 follows one of the through-town alignments, the east alignment under consideration would not be constructed.

Your second question is a bit off-topic and probably has been answered in another thread...but whatever: The short version is that Clark County constructed the beltway, not NDOT. Portions currently existing as I-215 were constructed to Interstate standard from the beginning, whereas everything west/north of the I-15 junction was a patchwork of frontage roads, freeway segments, 4-lane roads, etc. upon initial construction–with traffic signals at the location of every future full interchange. So it was not able to be signed as an Interstate and was instead signed as Clark County Route 215.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

triplemultiplex

Putting I-11 on 215 would be stupid, in my opinion.  Ain't gonna be hardly any "thru" traffic just trying to get around Vegas.  I-11 traffic is going to freakin' Vegas, so send I-11 into freakin' Vegas and use US 95.  It boggles my mind that there is any question here.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

sparker

Quote from: triplemultiplex on September 21, 2017, 05:14:51 PM
Putting I-11 on 215 would be stupid, in my opinion.  Ain't gonna be hardly any "thru" traffic just trying to get around Vegas.  I-11 traffic is going to freakin' Vegas, so send I-11 into freakin' Vegas and use US 95.  It boggles my mind that there is any question here.

Actually, the portion of I-215 west from (now) I-11 to I-15 comes closer to serving the "Strip" (S. Las Vegas Blvd.) -- the main locus of tourist "action" -- than does I-515, which flanks the north side of the Fremont Street "OG" casino center, which, while still maintaining some tourist cachet, has long been surpassed by the huge mass of hotels and entertainment well south of downtown.  Not surprised that there's some push to reroute I-11 over the west side of I-215 (and its "temporary" county extension) for just that reason (the syndicates, including Steve Wynn and associates, that own and manage many of the Strip attractions wouldn't mind that concept one little bit!) -- also, I-515 near the I-15 interchange has always been a bit of a slow slog regardless of the interchange rebuild (lots of local-server interchanges in a relatively short segment north of downtown), so commercial entities (truckers, distributors) looking at a full I-11 buildout extending north to at least US 95 north of town might also press for the western bypass option to avoid historic and potential center city congestion.  While I-515/US 95 is the proverbial "shortest line between two points", so to speak -- and it's in place right now -- it does have its shortcomings.  The matter likely won't be decided for several years (and several further studies, if S.O.P. is maintained!). 

myosh_tino

Now that I-11 is going to be signed, how is NDOT going to handle numbering exits along the new route?

Currently, exit numbers on I-515 are based on US 95's mileage which makes sense because US 95 becomes the through-route at the I-15 interchange in downtown Las Vegas.  Will the segment of I-11 from the Arizona/Nevada stateline to the junction with US 95 south of Bolder be numbered the traditional way starting with Exit 2 at NV-172 (old US 93) and then jump to somewhere around the mid-50's after US 95 merges with I-11?
Quote from: golden eagle
If I owned a dam and decided to donate it to charity, would I be giving a dam? I'm sure that might be a first because no one really gives a dam.

bugo

Quote from: KeithE4Phx on September 11, 2017, 02:45:54 PM
Plus, a freeway would turn the already-depressed Wikieup into a ghost town.  Most of the town is already dead, but there are a couple of restaurants and a good souvenir shop that do good business.  Bypassing it would kill it.

Too bad so sad. Hundreds or even thousands of towns have been bypassed all over the country over the years. It's a part of the cycle of life. They can simply build an interchange at CR 131 and US 93 will still have access to the businesses.

bugo

1. Is the Boulder City bypass open to traffic?
2. Does/will US 93 still go through Boulder City or does/will it follow the bypass south of town?
3. What will happen to the section of US 95 from the bypass to current/former US 93 west of Boulder City? Will it remain US 95 or will US 95 follow the bypass?
4. I-11 should absolutely follow I-515 north of I-215.
5. If you think I-11 will be built north of Vegas in the next 100 years you're high.

roadfro

Quote from: myosh_tino on September 22, 2017, 12:51:23 AM
Now that I-11 is going to be signed, how is NDOT going to handle numbering exits along the new route?

Currently, exit numbers on I-515 are based on US 95's mileage which makes sense because US 95 becomes the through-route at the I-15 interchange in downtown Las Vegas.  Will the segment of I-11 from the Arizona/Nevada stateline to the junction with US 95 south of Bolder be numbered the traditional way starting with Exit 2 at NV-172 (old US 93) and then jump to somewhere around the mid-50's after US 95 merges with I-11?

I haven't seen anything official, but I'd guess that your hunch would be correct. I don't think NDOT will make any major changes to exit numbers until they've decided how I-11 will be routed.

Whatever the ultimate I-11 routing is, I'm hoping NDOT will use the realignment of US 95 onto the BC bypass as an excuse to finally fix some exit number inconsistencies on US 95. I believe there's a number/milepost mismatch or two somewhere on the I-515 portion (along the part to be renumbered south of I-215), and there's an unexplained jump from exit 85 to exit 90 in northwest LV that has bugged me for years. </rant>


Quote from: bugo on September 22, 2017, 05:19:36 AM
1. Is the Boulder City bypass open to traffic?

No (except for the short portion of new southbound lanes opened to accommodate other construction). We have a Boulder City Bypass thread that will cover more of the construction discussion.

Quote
2. Does/will US 93 still go through Boulder City or does/will it follow the bypass south of town?

Currently US 93 still goes through Boulder City, but will be rerouted when the full bypass is completed in 2018–existing US 93 through town will be renumbered US 93 Business (and has already been renamed "Boulder City Pkwy"). The Boulder City Bypass project was developed as an effort to relieve US 93 traffic congestion in BC, long before the I-11 concept was conceived.

Quote
3. What will happen to the section of US 95 from the bypass to current/former US 93 west of Boulder City? Will it remain US 95 or will US 95 follow the bypass?

US 95 will be rerouted to the bypass when NDOT's phase 1 construction segment (Railroad Pass to US 95) is completed later this year. I am not sure what they plan to do number-wise with that mile or so of existing US 95 between the bypass and the current US 93 interchange.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

Sub-Urbanite

Random I-11 musing: How many other 2di's don't intersect any other 2di's?

Not that this is a permanent condition, but it is (in theory) an interesting bit of trivia.

hotdogPi

#49
Quote from: Sub-Urbanite on September 25, 2017, 01:23:34 PM
Random I-11 musing: How many other 2di's don't intersect any other 2di's?

Not that this is a permanent condition, but it is (in theory) an interesting bit of trivia.

I-2, I-97

That should be it.

(I-99 reaches I-86.)
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.



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