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Started by gonealookin, November 27, 2018, 11:43:03 PM

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US 89

There is also this sign on southbound 93/eastbound 50 explicitly listing the distances to Las Vegas from Ely:



cl94

Quote from: roadfro on September 11, 2022, 07:21:43 PM
That double-guy mast arm style is basically an endangered species in Nevada. Probably less than 10 of them left...

Now I'm trying to remember where I have seen them, because that number seems low. I could swear I've seen at least half a dozen around Reno/Sparks alone, but I very well might be counting some twice.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

dbz77

#177
There was a traffic signal at 5th and Aultman in Ely as early as 1935.

https://unr.dgicloud.com/islandora/object/spphotoscollection%3A4465

https://nvdnp.wordpress.com/nevada-history/ely-nevada/


(There was also a signal at 6th and Aultman, which was removed long ago.)





roadfro

Quote from: cl94 on September 11, 2022, 11:54:06 PM
Quote from: roadfro on September 11, 2022, 07:21:43 PM
That double-guy mast arm style is basically an endangered species in Nevada. Probably less than 10 of them left...

Now I'm trying to remember where I have seen them, because that number seems low. I could swear I've seen at least half a dozen around Reno/Sparks alone, but I very well might be counting some twice.

Make sure you're not confusing a curved mast arm for a double-guy curved mast arm. Curved mast arms (a la California) are still in plentiful abundance around Reno-Sparks (smaller example & larger example), but I can't think of any double-guy mast arms around here. The double-guy mast arms are very thin, and have the two guy wires strung from the mast that support the arm, and the mast arms themselves are only about a lane wide.

Here's some double-guy mast arm signals, all in the city of Las Vegas:

  • Charleston Blvd, just west of Shadow Ln: Controls a crosswalk outside of University Medical Center (Vegas area's main hospital). Interesting because the road is 3 lanes in each direction with center turn, and there's only one overhead signal head, so it doesn't remotely meet modern NV signal standards.
  • Alta Dr (WB) & Brush St (Used to have similar installation EB)
  • Two of the three signals at Ogden Ave & 3rd St in downtown
  • Three of the four signals at Maryland Pkwy & Oakey Blvd: Northbound also is 3 lanes with one overhead signal. This also has the also now rare post-mounted (5-section horizontal) left turn signal in a narrow median. (Also unusual, there's a fire hydrant in that median!  :-o)
So that's eight double-guys that I can think of, and I can't think of any outside of Vegas. So maybe "less than 10" is an exaggeration, but it's probably not that far off. There used to be a lot more of these double-guy around downtown Las Vegas, but several have been replaced in the last decade or so as the city/RTC have done street modifications and have been replaced with signal hardware that matches new street scape elements and conforms to more modern design standards.

Note also that the Las Vegas area still has many of these double-guy mounts in use for other purposes like school zone flashers, but I'm only counting actual traffic signals in my endangered species claim.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

dbz77

Quote from: roadfro on September 12, 2022, 05:16:10 PM
Quote from: cl94 on September 11, 2022, 11:54:06 PM
Quote from: roadfro on September 11, 2022, 07:21:43 PM
That double-guy mast arm style is basically an endangered species in Nevada. Probably less than 10 of them left...

Now I'm trying to remember where I have seen them, because that number seems low. I could swear I've seen at least half a dozen around Reno/Sparks alone, but I very well might be counting some twice.

Make sure you're not confusing a curved mast arm for a double-guy curved mast arm. Curved mast arms (a la California) are still in plentiful abundance around Reno-Sparks (smaller example & larger example), but I can't think of any double-guy mast arms around here. The double-guy mast arms are very thin, and have the two guy wires strung from the mast that support the arm, and the mast arms themselves are only about a lane wide.

Here's some double-guy mast arm signals, all in the city of Las Vegas:

  • Charleston Blvd, just west of Shadow Ln: Controls a crosswalk outside of University Medical Center (Vegas area's main hospital). Interesting because the road is 3 lanes in each direction with center turn, and there's only one overhead signal head, so it doesn't remotely meet modern NV signal standards.
  • Alta Dr (WB) & Brush St (Used to have similar installation EB)
  • Two of the three signals at Ogden Ave & 3rd St in downtown
  • Three of the four signals at Maryland Pkwy & Oakey Blvd: Northbound also is 3 lanes with one overhead signal. This also has the also now rare post-mounted (5-section horizontal) left turn signal in a narrow median. (Also unusual, there's a fire hydrant in that median!  :-o)
So that's eight double-guys that I can think of, and I can't think of any outside of Vegas. So maybe "less than 10" is an exaggeration, but it's probably not that far off. There used to be a lot more of these double-guy around downtown Las Vegas, but several have been replaced in the last decade or so as the city/RTC have done street modifications and have been replaced with signal hardware that matches new street scape elements and conforms to more modern design standards.

Note also that the Las Vegas area still has many of these double-guy mounts in use for other purposes like school zone flashers, but I'm only counting actual traffic signals in my endangered species claim.
I also add Presidio and Highland. The street view is from January of 2021, though I can personally attest driving through there in March of 2022.

I am surprised it was ever installed, considering it is just an industrial neighborhood.

Another thing I wonder is if those double-guy curved mast arms are recycled for use in other intersections (either as temporary or permanent installations)

Urban Prairie Schooner

#180
I noticed in Nevada DOT's State Maintained Highways Description Index that SR 121 in Churchill County has been reclassified as a frontage road (FRCH08).  Streetview as of August 2022 still shows signage for SR 121 at the southern terminus.

Does anyone have any insight as to why this was done? This is certainly not a frontage road.

roadfro

Quote from: Urban Prairie Schooner on September 29, 2022, 11:04:17 PM
I noticed in Nevada DOT's State Maintained Highways Description Index that SR 121 in Churchill County has been reclassified as a frontage road (FRCH08).  Streetview as of August 2022 still shows signage for SR 121 at the southern terminus.

Does anyone have any insight as to why this was done? This is certainly not a frontage road.

I didn't even catch that change.

This is Dixie Valley Road, which leads to Dixie Valley. The maps in NDOT's SMH book show it as a "site", which typically denotes a former town site with little to no permanent population. If that's the case, and there's no other important uses served by the road (such as industrial sites, mines, military installations, state park, state prison, etc.), then I can see downgrading the route from a primary state highway. This keeps the route under state maintenance, but probably not at the funding and maintenance level of a state highway.

NDOT does not have a bunch of different route type classifications. Even the current state route numbering system adopted in 1976 was based on Federal Aid Highway system classifications and funding levels (100-400's as primary state highways, 500-600's as urban highways, 700-800's as state aid [kind of a defacto "secondary" tier]), but I don't think they've used that for funding purposes since roughly 1991. NDOT has a few other road classifications: FR (frontage road), SP (state park), CD (collector-distributor), AR (access road), RP (roads and parking lots serving rest parks), ER (escape ramps).

NDOT puts a lot of things that wouldn't typically be considered a "frontage road" into the FR category. For instance, many urban roads that interchange with a freeway are maintained as a FR within the NDOT ROW of the interchange area (especially if the intersecting road had once been a state-maintained highway)...examples include Keystone Ave at I-80 in Reno (FRWA55), Neil Road at I-580/US 395 in Reno (FRWA44, formerly SR 671), Spring Mountain Road at I-15 in Las Vegas (FRCL51, formerly SR 591), Sunset Road at I-515 in Las Vegas (FRCL63, formerly part of SR 562), etc. There are also some other frontage roads in Carson City that are not connected to the rest of the state highway system, but are part of roads adjacent to NDOT headquarters.

I'm not sure what NDOT's criteria are for some of the classifications, but it seems like many assets, including this downgrade of SR 121, might fit better in the AR category than FR...
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

Scott5114

I'm really glad my first-ever entry into Nevada was on I-11 at sunset, because it made a hell of a first impression. Google Street View doesn't do it justice.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

cl94

Quote from: dbz77 on September 12, 2022, 06:38:09 PM
Quote from: roadfro on September 12, 2022, 05:16:10 PM
Quote from: cl94 on September 11, 2022, 11:54:06 PM
Quote from: roadfro on September 11, 2022, 07:21:43 PM
That double-guy mast arm style is basically an endangered species in Nevada. Probably less than 10 of them left...

Now I'm trying to remember where I have seen them, because that number seems low. I could swear I've seen at least half a dozen around Reno/Sparks alone, but I very well might be counting some twice.

Make sure you're not confusing a curved mast arm for a double-guy curved mast arm. Curved mast arms (a la California) are still in plentiful abundance around Reno-Sparks (smaller example & larger example), but I can't think of any double-guy mast arms around here. The double-guy mast arms are very thin, and have the two guy wires strung from the mast that support the arm, and the mast arms themselves are only about a lane wide.

Here's some double-guy mast arm signals, all in the city of Las Vegas:

  • Charleston Blvd, just west of Shadow Ln: Controls a crosswalk outside of University Medical Center (Vegas area's main hospital). Interesting because the road is 3 lanes in each direction with center turn, and there's only one overhead signal head, so it doesn't remotely meet modern NV signal standards.
  • Alta Dr (WB) & Brush St (Used to have similar installation EB)
  • Two of the three signals at Ogden Ave & 3rd St in downtown
  • Three of the four signals at Maryland Pkwy & Oakey Blvd: Northbound also is 3 lanes with one overhead signal. This also has the also now rare post-mounted (5-section horizontal) left turn signal in a narrow median. (Also unusual, there's a fire hydrant in that median!  :-o)
So that's eight double-guys that I can think of, and I can't think of any outside of Vegas. So maybe "less than 10" is an exaggeration, but it's probably not that far off. There used to be a lot more of these double-guy around downtown Las Vegas, but several have been replaced in the last decade or so as the city/RTC have done street modifications and have been replaced with signal hardware that matches new street scape elements and conforms to more modern design standards.

Note also that the Las Vegas area still has many of these double-guy mounts in use for other purposes like school zone flashers, but I'm only counting actual traffic signals in my endangered species claim.
I also add Presidio and Highland. The street view is from January of 2021, though I can personally attest driving through there in March of 2022.

I am surprised it was ever installed, considering it is just an industrial neighborhood.

Another thing I wonder is if those double-guy curved mast arms are recycled for use in other intersections (either as temporary or permanent installations)

South Virginia Street at State/Court Streets has two as of last weekend. There's a third in front of Harvey's Lake Tahoe. Mast is in Nevada, but Caltrans maintains the signal. I could swear there are more, but again, could be mistaken.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

roadfro

Quote from: cl94 on October 25, 2022, 11:31:27 PM
Quote from: dbz77 on September 12, 2022, 06:38:09 PM
Quote from: roadfro on September 12, 2022, 05:16:10 PM
Quote from: cl94 on September 11, 2022, 11:54:06 PM
Quote from: roadfro on September 11, 2022, 07:21:43 PM
That double-guy mast arm style is basically an endangered species in Nevada. Probably less than 10 of them left...

Now I'm trying to remember where I have seen them, because that number seems low. I could swear I've seen at least half a dozen around Reno/Sparks alone, but I very well might be counting some twice.

Make sure you're not confusing a curved mast arm for a double-guy curved mast arm. Curved mast arms (a la California) are still in plentiful abundance around Reno-Sparks (smaller example & larger example), but I can't think of any double-guy mast arms around here. The double-guy mast arms are very thin, and have the two guy wires strung from the mast that support the arm, and the mast arms themselves are only about a lane wide.

Here's some double-guy mast arm signals, all in the city of Las Vegas:

  • Charleston Blvd, just west of Shadow Ln: Controls a crosswalk outside of University Medical Center (Vegas area's main hospital). Interesting because the road is 3 lanes in each direction with center turn, and there's only one overhead signal head, so it doesn't remotely meet modern NV signal standards.
  • Alta Dr (WB) & Brush St (Used to have similar installation EB)
  • Two of the three signals at Ogden Ave & 3rd St in downtown
  • Three of the four signals at Maryland Pkwy & Oakey Blvd: Northbound also is 3 lanes with one overhead signal. This also has the also now rare post-mounted (5-section horizontal) left turn signal in a narrow median. (Also unusual, there's a fire hydrant in that median!  :-o)
So that's eight double-guys that I can think of, and I can't think of any outside of Vegas. So maybe "less than 10" is an exaggeration, but it's probably not that far off. There used to be a lot more of these double-guy around downtown Las Vegas, but several have been replaced in the last decade or so as the city/RTC have done street modifications and have been replaced with signal hardware that matches new street scape elements and conforms to more modern design standards.

Note also that the Las Vegas area still has many of these double-guy mounts in use for other purposes like school zone flashers, but I'm only counting actual traffic signals in my endangered species claim.
I also add Presidio and Highland. The street view is from January of 2021, though I can personally attest driving through there in March of 2022.

I am surprised it was ever installed, considering it is just an industrial neighborhood.

Another thing I wonder is if those double-guy curved mast arms are recycled for use in other intersections (either as temporary or permanent installations)

South Virginia Street at State/Court Streets has two as of last weekend. There's a third in front of Harvey's Lake Tahoe. Mast is in Nevada, but Caltrans maintains the signal. I could swear there are more, but again, could be mistaken.
Well I'll be, those two in Reno escaped my notice, and I pass through the regularly enough (although usually at night, when it's harder to notice).

I'm also curious if the signal at Tahoe is maintained by Nevada. NDOT went through a could years ago and put yellow reflective strips on all signal backplates located within state highway ROWs. I don't think California is nearly as proactive with that.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

cl94

#185
Quote from: roadfro on October 26, 2022, 04:38:46 PM
Quote from: cl94 on October 25, 2022, 11:31:27 PM
Quote from: dbz77 on September 12, 2022, 06:38:09 PM
Quote from: roadfro on September 12, 2022, 05:16:10 PM
Quote from: cl94 on September 11, 2022, 11:54:06 PM
Quote from: roadfro on September 11, 2022, 07:21:43 PM
That double-guy mast arm style is basically an endangered species in Nevada. Probably less than 10 of them left...

Now I'm trying to remember where I have seen them, because that number seems low. I could swear I've seen at least half a dozen around Reno/Sparks alone, but I very well might be counting some twice.

Make sure you're not confusing a curved mast arm for a double-guy curved mast arm. Curved mast arms (a la California) are still in plentiful abundance around Reno-Sparks (smaller example & larger example), but I can't think of any double-guy mast arms around here. The double-guy mast arms are very thin, and have the two guy wires strung from the mast that support the arm, and the mast arms themselves are only about a lane wide.

Here's some double-guy mast arm signals, all in the city of Las Vegas:

  • Charleston Blvd, just west of Shadow Ln: Controls a crosswalk outside of University Medical Center (Vegas area's main hospital). Interesting because the road is 3 lanes in each direction with center turn, and there's only one overhead signal head, so it doesn't remotely meet modern NV signal standards.
  • Alta Dr (WB) & Brush St (Used to have similar installation EB)
  • Two of the three signals at Ogden Ave & 3rd St in downtown
  • Three of the four signals at Maryland Pkwy & Oakey Blvd: Northbound also is 3 lanes with one overhead signal. This also has the also now rare post-mounted (5-section horizontal) left turn signal in a narrow median. (Also unusual, there's a fire hydrant in that median!  :-o)
So that's eight double-guys that I can think of, and I can't think of any outside of Vegas. So maybe "less than 10" is an exaggeration, but it's probably not that far off. There used to be a lot more of these double-guy around downtown Las Vegas, but several have been replaced in the last decade or so as the city/RTC have done street modifications and have been replaced with signal hardware that matches new street scape elements and conforms to more modern design standards.

Note also that the Las Vegas area still has many of these double-guy mounts in use for other purposes like school zone flashers, but I'm only counting actual traffic signals in my endangered species claim.
I also add Presidio and Highland. The street view is from January of 2021, though I can personally attest driving through there in March of 2022.

I am surprised it was ever installed, considering it is just an industrial neighborhood.

Another thing I wonder is if those double-guy curved mast arms are recycled for use in other intersections (either as temporary or permanent installations)

South Virginia Street at State/Court Streets has two as of last weekend. There's a third in front of Harvey's Lake Tahoe. Mast is in Nevada, but Caltrans maintains the signal. I could swear there are more, but again, could be mistaken.
Well I'll be, those two in Reno escaped my notice, and I pass through the regularly enough (although usually at night, when it's harder to notice).

I'm also curious if the signal at Tahoe is maintained by Nevada. NDOT went through a could years ago and put yellow reflective strips on all signal backplates located within state highway ROWs. I don't think California is nearly as proactive with that.

The intersection is officially under Caltrans control per the internal data I have access to (and it would be an authoritative source for the basin). That mast arm might be owned by Nevada. The state line runs along the northeast side of Stateline Avenue.

Caltrans D3 has been going crazy with yellow reflective backing, particularly in the Tahoe basin.  That might be a TRPA funding thing.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

jdbx

Caltrans has added the yellow reflective border to all of the signals that they maintain statewide. I believe it was in response to the widespread PSPS power outages over the past few years.

mgk920

Quote from: jdbx on October 27, 2022, 03:58:59 PM
Caltrans has added the yellow reflective border to all of the signals that they maintain statewide. I believe it was in response to the widespread PSPS power outages over the past few years.

IMHO, it's a good idea anyways, besides making it easier for those with red/green colorblindness to safely navigate streets, also making the signals easier to see in the morass of a commercial 'strip' area.  I'd love to see them be made mandatory in the next MUTCD update (c'mon, get with the program NYCDOT!)

Mike

sbeaver44

Having a hard time finding this on the internet, and I attempted a search on the entire AARoads website, with no luck.  So I do apologize if this has been answered elsewhere.  I usually lurk in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic sections of this board, not the West.

I was looking at I-80 in Nevada on GSV.  What is the history of the block (now occupied by a Walgreens) where I-80 passes under US 395 BUS in downtown Reno? 

Looking at historic aerials the Walgreens appears to be in the last 30 years, what was there before?  And why is just that block capped over I-80?

The Walgreens itself doesn't really look like a typical Walgreens store; but then again, most Walgreens do not have an Interstate highway below them.

Thanks!

Kniwt

Quote from: sbeaver44 on February 03, 2023, 07:58:11 PM
Looking at historic aerials the Walgreens appears to be in the last 30 years, what was there before?  And why is just that block capped over I-80?

https://www.rgj.com/story/life/2016/05/13/breck-walgreens-atop--80-freeway/84345082/

sbeaver44

Awesome read, thanks!

cl94

Yeah, the Walgreens in question was supposed to be a casino. IMO, it's a great use for the land given that UNR is a block away. It remains the only drugstore (or chain outlet of any type apart from convenience stores, for that matter) within walk/bike distance of the campus.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

roadfro

#192
I started college at UNR in fall 2001, and I don't recall the Walgreens already being under construction at that time–I thought it didn't open until 2003 or so, but that article has pictures of the structural work on the building underway in June 2001. I have a distinct memory of that pad being just fenced off and just empty–maybe it was that way during my campus visit in October or November of 2000...

Aside from the location above the freeway and the unusual trusses that are part of its architecture, there is nothing special about this Walgreens. It has a typical Walgreens layout and offerings, except that this location might have a bit more in the way of Reno/Nevada souvenirs than the average store.

As cl94 noted, it is close to the UNR campus within walking distance of the university's residence halls (which are all on the west side of campus along Virginia St between 10th St and College Dr) as well as two privately-owned large student apartment complexes (with several more further up Virginia). It's the only place nearby to campus to purchase grocery items and basic personal goods, so has been well frequented by students without vehicles. (As of a few years ago, UNR now owns the whole block across the street on the north side of Maple St/I-80 WB ramps, with plans to build a new business building and potentially a hotel/conference center on the property in what is being called the university's "Gateway District".) Additionally, it's also the only store of this type in the downtown Reno area–there used to be another chain drugstore of smaller size (maybe a Longs Drugs?) on the southwest corner of Sierra St & 2nd St, but I think this closed in the mid-2000s–so that also helps drive business from tourists people living around downtown.

So despite the odd backstory, the Walgreens has fared decently well over the years. I seem to remember hearing at one point that this location was one of the top performing Walgreens locations in the country–not sure how accurate that may be, but I wouldn't doubt that it's at least near the top of locations in this part of the country.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

roadfro

A section of I-580 in Reno with rough and cracking pavement is going to be repaved beginning this spring.

Ask the RGJ: Why is I-580 at Moana so rough? It's overdue for repair Reno Gazette-Journal 1/27/2023 (may be paywalled)
Quote
Key Points:
  • I-580 was constructed in 1979 and designed for a 35-year lifespan.
  • Because of plans for Spaghetti Bowl improvements, funding was not available to fix the Moana section in 2014-15 when other work was done.
  • Plans to repair I-580 at Moana Lane are set for this summer.
  • NDOT assesses interstate and state roads every year using the "International Roughness Index."
    <...>
    What upgrades are planned for I-580?

    From Peckham to Moana, age-related cracking on the concrete will first be filled and then resurfaced with one inch of asphalt over the existing surface, both northbound and southbound. 

    From Moana to Mill, the following is planned:
  • Nine inches of cracking interstate concrete surface in the travel lanes will be removed and replaced with new asphalt surface in both directions between Moana and Plumb lanes, equaling approximately 33,000 tons of new asphalt.
  • Nine inches of cracking interstate concrete surface will be removed and replaced with new asphalt surface in the northbound direction between Villanova Drive and Mill Street, equaling approximately 2,000 tons of new concrete. The southbound interstate will not be resurfaced. (In 2014-2015, NDOT previously reconstructed four lanes of southbound I-580 between Mill Street and Villanova Drive.)
  • Bridge deck and maintenance improvements in both northbound and southbound directions will be made on the bridge viaduct structure carrying I-580 over the Regional Transportation Commission bus facilities between Plumb Lane and Villanova Drive.
  • Bridge deck and maintenance improvements in the northbound direction will be made at Vassar Street, Mill Street, East Second Street, Kietzke Lane and East Fourth Street.
    <...>
    This segment of I-580 was originally constructed in 1979 and was designed for a 35-year lifespan. 

    In 2014-2015, NDOT completely reconstructed four lanes of old, deteriorating concrete on southbound I-580 between Mill Street and Villanova Drive.

    Because NDOT has future plans to reconstruct other areas of interstate as part of future phases of Spaghetti Bowl improvements, funding was not available as part of these 2014-2015 improvements to also reconstruct other areas of I-580, only to remove that new interstate for these future Spaghetti Bowl improvements.

    But, in 2014-1015, NDOT placed a polymer/epoxy resin to help seal roadway cracking on segments of the interstate that were not reconstructed as part of interstate renovations. Similar crack-sealing repairs were made again in 2021.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

cl94

There's a lot of upcoming work with 580 and 395. The first phase of widening between North McCarran Blvd and Stead Blvd also begins this year. That can't come soon enough. Also a future widening south of Moana as part of a future Spaghetti Bowl phase.

And this doesn't include the potential freeway link between 395 and 445, with the first phase of that project (445 widening) already underway as of last weekend. Going to be a busy several years of road construction in Truckee Meadows.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

roadfro

#195
Quote from: cl94 on February 06, 2023, 11:08:20 PM
And this doesn't include the potential freeway link between 395 and 445, with the first phase of that project (445 widening) already underway as of last weekend. Going to be a busy several years of road construction in Truckee Meadows.

Might have to take a look at this. I hadn't heard this had started, and I couldn't find any press releases. This RTC update page seems to indicate that construction may start soon, and there could be utility work taking place in advance. I'll have to do more research


EDIT: Fixed link
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

cl94

Quote from: roadfro on February 07, 2023, 12:02:37 PM
Quote from: cl94 on February 06, 2023, 11:08:20 PM
And this doesn't include the potential freeway link between 395 and 445, with the first phase of that project (445 widening) already underway as of last weekend. Going to be a busy several years of road construction in Truckee Meadows.

Might have to take a look at this. I hadn't heard this had started, and I couldn't find any press releases. This [ur=https://www.rtcwashoe.com/engineering-project/pyramid-highway-us-395-connection-project/l]RTC update page[/url] seems to indicate that construction may start soon, and there could be utility work taking place in advance. I'll have to do more research

Might just be utility work, but there has been plenty of clearing and staking.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

cl94

I had to use RTC Washoe's travel demand model outputs for my job this week and I noticed they have a layer showing planned transportation projects. For us roads people, there are a TON of goodies in there, along with construction dates that can be estimated for some of them.

For new major roads, we have these. Most I knew about, but one was a nice surprise to see.

  • USA Parkway northern extension: This would extend USA Parkway (SR 439) northwest to Spanish Springs. On the Spanish Springs side, it would line up with La Posada Drive and Eagle Canyon Drive. Similar to the rest of USA Parkway, construction would be dependent on private funding. I could see either NDOT or Washoe County maintaining this. Appears to be planned for 2040-2050.
  • South Meadows Parkway eastern extension: This would extend South Meadows Parkway on the south side of Reno east to USA Parkway (SR 439) at the industrial park. Didn't know this was even proposed, but I'd appreciate the redundancy. Construction is again dependent on private funding and I'd assume this would be an NDOT road once complete. Appears to be planned for 2040-2050
  • US 395-SR 445 connector: the only real freeway project planned in Northern Nevada for the next couple decades, this will build a freeway link between US 395 and SR 445 southeast of Sun Valley and then convert part of existing SR 445 to freeway through northern Sparks and part of Spanish Springs. First phase of this (445 widening) has already begun and it'll continue through the next 20 or so years. I could see NDOT rerouting 445 along this freeway and redesignating part of current 445 as a 600-series urban route and/or downloading a portion to Sparks.
  • West Sun Valley Arterial: new 4-lane road around the northwest side of Sun Valley linking 395 and the above connector freeway to Eagle Canyon Drive in Spanish Springs, lining up with Calle de la Plata. Projected construction between 2030 and 2040, I'd expect this to be a county road.
  • Eagle Canyon Drive extension: extends Eagle Canyon Drive west from the Reno Sparks Indian Colony to Lemmon Drive just northeast of Swan Lake. Projected 2040-2050, I again expect this to be county.

As far as widening projects along state roads, the remaining 4-lane portions of McCarran Blvd are likely to be widened to 6 with added multimodal capabilities. Most segments of freeway in Reno and Sparks are expected to be widened, including most of 80 between Exits 5 and 32 and most of 580/395 between Neil Road and Red Rock Canyon Road (excluding what was just widened around the Spaghetti Bowl).
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

cl94

NDOT is doing a virtual meeting for the US 395 widening project through close of business on March 7. Link to view, make public comments, and sign up for updates is here: https://395northvalleys.com/
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

roadfro

NDOT reduced the speed limit on I-80 east of Sparks (between Mustang exit 23 and Orchard exit 38) from 70 to 65 late last month, per this press release.

This is not surprising. This is the curvy section that follows the Truckee River, much of which has minimal shoulders. Given the increased traffic over the last decade or so (most of which is commuters heading to/from facilities in TRIC along USA Pkwy) and rising accident rates (there's been several big crashes with the craziness of this winter's weather), I'm actually surprised it didn't happen sooner.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.



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