Northern extension of Interstate 11

[mcarling]

Another bureaucratic step toward a future extension of I-11 from Las Vegas to Reno.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/traffic-transportation/house-panel-backs-northern-extension-interstate-11


MOD NOTE: Changed message icon and thread title, to reflect additional content and developing discussion. --Roadfro

[The Ghostbuster]

Do existing traffic demands require an Interstate 11 extension to from Las Vegas to Reno? I am somewhat skeptical.

[noelbotevera]

Looking at Nevada from Google Maps, it'd be hard to do. US 95 is the direct route, but you miss Reno by 60 miles. Another way is to have California step in, in my opinion. It can't go west past Coaldale, as there are mountains there. But I think I found a way. It's flat land northwest in the Walker River Reservation at a town called Schurz. It'd take a northwest path there, directly to Reno. Here's what I'm using to refer to:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nevada/@39.2296726,-119.420746,109971m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x80990aa1f8deb471:0xcf47038aaafc95b3

Reno is in the top left, and Schurz is near what looks like green/brown mountains. It's a direct northwest path to connect those two over flat land.

[mcarling]

The route between Las Vegas and Reno has not be decided yet.  There is some sentiment to try to go via Carson City and incorporate the existing I-580 between Carson City and Reno.  That would go via Schurz and Yerington and follow route 50 to Carson City.

If I-11 were to terminate at Reno, AADT would probably be low for an Interstate.  However, if it were extended north from Reno through Susanville to Klamath Falls, Bend, Redmond, and Yakima, it would become the preferred route for Phoenix/Las Vegas to Portland/Seattle/Vancouver.

[kkt]

Do existing traffic demands require an Interstate 11 extension to from Las Vegas to Reno? I am somewhat skeptical.

Existing traffic demands have very little to do with any part of I-11.

If I-11 were to terminate at Reno, AADT would probably be low for an Interstate.  However, if it were extended north from Reno through Susanville to Klamath Falls, Bend, Redmond, and Yakima, it would become the preferred route for Phoenix/Las Vegas to Portland/Seattle/Vancouver.

The 2-lane roads that are the direct route between Las Vegas and Portland are already the preferred route, and it's a rare thing to take your cruise control off.

[roadfro]

Do existing traffic demands require an Interstate 11 extension to from Las Vegas to Reno? I am somewhat skeptical.

Not really. Given that most of the route is two-lane US highway, it's not really necessary from the current traffic volumes.

Looking at Nevada from Google Maps, it'd be hard to do. US 95 is the direct route, but you miss Reno by 60 miles. Another way is to have California step in, in my opinion. It can't go west past Coaldale, as there are mountains there. But I think I found a way. It's flat land northwest in the Walker River Reservation at a town called Schurz. It'd take a northwest path there, directly to Reno. Here's what I'm using to refer to:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nevada/@39.2296726,-119.420746,109971m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x80990aa1f8deb471:0xcf47038aaafc95b3

Reno is in the top left, and Schurz is near what looks like green/brown mountains. It's a direct northwest path to connect those two over flat land.

Look again. There is not a direct, flat path between Schurz and Reno.  If there was, a road would exist on that path by now (since it would cut the distance to Reno significantly).

Heading northwest from Schurz, it's relatively easy to go northwest to Yerington and Silver Springs. But once you get up to US 50, there are mountains that are not easy to get through to go straight to Reno–USA Parkway (SR 439) will be the first paved road to cut through that mountain barrier, but even still that comes out 15-ish miles east of Reno on I-80.

[mgk920]

That is the routing that I've been eyeing over the past few years, too.  As for the 'Why no road through there now?' thing?  Perhaps there was no demand for roads in that corridor when they were first laid out - Las Vegas and Phoenix were essentially not there a century+ ago (also see: 'I-70 in Utah').

Mike

[mcarling]

There is not a direct, flat path between Schurz and Reno.  If there was, a road would exist on that path by now (since it would cut the distance to Reno significantly).

Heading northwest from Schurz, it's relatively easy to go northwest to Yerington and Silver Springs. But once you get up to US 50, there are mountains that are not easy to get through to go straight to Reno–USA Parkway (SR 439) will be the first paved road to cut through that mountain barrier, but even still that comes out 15-ish miles east of Reno on I-80.

I can imagine a route via Schurz and Yerington that goes west of Churchill Butte to join US 50 near Stagecoach (rather than following US 95A to Silver Springs), then following US 50 to Carson City, and reaching Reno via I-580.  There is presently an unpaved road going NNW from Yerington that stops at the Carson River near where the (stranded?) Southwest Airlines 737 is visible in Google Earth.  39.17.40N 119.21.0W

[triplemultiplex]

Waste of time and money.
Bring it up again when Reno has 2 million people, Nevada.

[Sub-Urbanite]

Do existing traffic demands require an Interstate 11 extension to from Las Vegas to Reno? I am somewhat skeptical.

Two words: Induced demand

[Sub-Urbanite]

My personal preferred route was to cut west from Lida Junction, across Deep Springs Valley and the White Mountains, joining up with (already 4-laned) 395 near Big Pine.

But since I don't have an extra $10 billion hanging around, and neither does Caltrans, I'll have to live with whatever NDOT gives me. Some day. After we raise the federal gas tax to match inflation.

[vdeane]

Do existing traffic demands require an Interstate 11 extension to from Las Vegas to Reno? I am somewhat skeptical.

Two words: Induced demand

Induced demand is caused by people who were staying home due to congestion start making trips due to an increase in capacity.  US 95 is currently a VERY desolate, wide open road that is already rather wide for its current traffic counts.  And, despite perception, just slapping an interstate shield down doesn't do much to spur development (which Vegas doesn't need help with anyways); NY's Southern Tier learned that the hard way with I-86.

[roadfro]

Induced demand is caused by people who were staying home due to congestion start making trips due to an increase in capacity.  US 95 is currently a VERY desolate, wide open road that is already rather wide for its current traffic counts.  And, despite perception, just slapping an interstate shield down doesn't do much to spur development (which Vegas doesn't need help with anyways); NY's Southern Tier learned that the hard way with I-86.

From your "rather wide for its current traffic counts" comment, I'm not sure if you've driven US 95 all the way between Las Vegas and northern Nevada, or if you were being sarcastic.

While US 95 is 4-lane divided leaving north out of Las Vegas, that lasts less than 50 miles. From the Mercury interchange north, it's all two-lane highway (except in major towns).


FWIW: While I would love to see an interstate along this corridor, I also realize that the northern extension seems rather impractical at the present time (or for the next decade at least).

[mcarling]

I also realize that the northern extension seems rather impractical at the present time (or for the next decade at least).

No one is expecting I-11 between Las Vegas and Reno to open in the next ten years.  I'm cautiously optimistic that I-11 between Phoenix and Las Vegas will be completed by 2025.  I hope that I-11 between Las Vegas and Reno might be completed by 2035.  I don't expect there to be agreement on a route before 2020.

[mcarling]

After we raise the federal gas tax to match inflation.

I don't think the federal gas tax will be increased any time soon.  I think responsibility for funding highways will gradually shift to the states and that state gas taxes will increase.

Washington doesn't spend money where it is most needed.  Rather Washington spends money where the powerful politicians live.

[vdeane]

Induced demand is caused by people who were staying home due to congestion start making trips due to an increase in capacity.  US 95 is currently a VERY desolate, wide open road that is already rather wide for its current traffic counts.  And, despite perception, just slapping an interstate shield down doesn't do much to spur development (which Vegas doesn't need help with anyways); NY's Southern Tier learned that the hard way with I-86.

From your "rather wide for its current traffic counts" comment, I'm not sure if you've driven US 95 all the way between Las Vegas and northern Nevada, or if you were being sarcastic.

While US 95 is 4-lane divided leaving north out of Las Vegas, that lasts less than 50 miles. From the Mercury interchange north, it's all two-lane highway (except in major towns).


FWIW: While I would love to see an interstate along this corridor, I also realize that the northern extension seems rather impractical at the present time (or for the next decade at least).

Felt like it was longer on Google Maps.  Even so, it's still pretty desolate.

[Pete from Boston]

Just plain silly. 

Not every two dots on the map need an Interstate between them, particularly when half of the few dots along most of the route between them are uninhabited "named places."

[kkt]

While US 95 is 4-lane divided leaving north out of Las Vegas, that lasts less than 50 miles. From the Mercury interchange north, it's all two-lane highway (except in major towns).

What are these "major towns" of which you speak?  Tonopah?  C'mon.  In between the suburbs of Reno and the suburbs of Las Vegas, there are no major towns.  Just little ones.

[roadfro]

While US 95 is 4-lane divided leaving north out of Las Vegas, that lasts less than 50 miles. From the Mercury interchange north, it's all two-lane highway (except in major towns).

What are these "major towns" of which you speak?  Tonopah?  C'mon.  In between the suburbs of Reno and the suburbs of Las Vegas, there are no major towns.  Just little ones.

Beatty, Tonopah, Hawthorne, Fallon (or Yerington, if you take 95A), Fernley.  Not sure what your definition of "town" is...

In the context of this drive, these "major towns" are the only major places along that drive where you can stop to eat and/or get gas from at least one national chain. They are often the only places that have decent hotel/motel lodging as well. All have a population of at least 1000 people; and with the exception of Beatty and Fernley, they are also the county seats. Fallon and Fernley are incorporated cities.

So no, not necessarily in dire need of an Interstate highway to connect them. But all are important to regional travel as the only major populated locale in their areas of the state.

[Kniwt]

Beatty, Tonopah, Hawthorne, Fallon (or Yerington, if you take 95A), Fernley. 

And I'll say it ... the local police and the NHP love enforcing the 25mph speed limits in each of these places (and especially also in Goldfield). And the 35mph limits on either side of the town. And the 45mph limits, which seem to stretch out for-fricking-ever beyond any actual population.

[vdeane]

There are towns around here that are much larger than those listed and don't even have Thruway exits despite it going right through the middle.

[Henry]

As Harry Caray would say, Holy cow!

I'm not the least bit surprised that they're pushing for an I-11 extension from Las Vegas to Reno, at a time when most of the route to Phoenix hasn't been built yet! At least it would be on the right side of I-15 if it went to Reno.

[mcarling]

I'm not the least bit surprised that they're pushing for an I-11 extension from Las Vegas to Reno, at a time when most of the route to Phoenix hasn't been built yet!

Of course!  I think the goal may be to have a route chosen for Las Vegas to Reno by the time Phoenix to Las Vegas will have been completed.  That would require pushing the idea now.  Any possible construction of I-11 between Las Vegas and Phoenix is far in the future.

Even if the Reno/Sparks/Carson City area will still have a population of less than one million, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Bend, Redmond, and Seattle are all growing rapidly.  Reno and Portland have some growth too.

[kkt]

Seattle to Las Vegas is 1100 miles.  In the 21st century, most people fly distances over about 600 miles (a long day's drive).

[jwolfer]

Seattle to Las Vegas is 1100 miles.  In the 21st century, most people fly distances over about 600 miles (a long day's drive).

There are plenty of people who drive from New England, NY, NJ, the Midwest and Canadian provinces to  Florida.  Well over 600 miles.

For one person, flying can be cheaper..but bringing a family of 3 or 4 gets expensive to fly, the cost of car rental, the potential for delays from weather (especially in winter), being beholden to an airline schedule, the general hassles of flying.. TSA, cost for checking bags etc all make driving look better than a flight.