Interstate 580 in Nevada--When is it to be finished?

[NE2]

Where will the south end of I-580 be? Will it extend to the end of the freeway, or end somewhere to the north?

[roadfro]

NDOT has always referred to the current project between south Reno and the Washoe Valley section of US 395 (north of Carson City) as the "I-580 Freeway Extension". Also, the NDOT website for the Carson City Freeway shows an I-580 shield and the signing plan for the final leg shows BGSs designed to accommodate future I-580 shields. So ultimately, after both projects are done, I-580 will extend from I-80 in Reno to the US 50/US 395 junction at the southern end of Carson City.

When the extension project is completed in June 2012, there will be full freeway from I-80 in Reno through Washoe Valley and much of Carson City. It is certainly feasible that I-580 shields could go up as far south as the US 50 east junction in eastern Carson City in summer/fall of 2012. This is what I would do if I were NDOT--whether or not NDOT decides to sign I-580 at that time remains to be seen. (A related historical comparison: NDOT did not sign I-515 in Las Vegas until the final leg through Henderson was completed in 1994-95, despite much of it being open to traffic in the 1980s as a relocated US 93/US 95.)

[The High Plains Traveler]

Any idea why both interstate spurs in Nevada start with "5" when there are no 1xx or 3xx routes? Was it to avoid conflict with the block of primary state route numbers which extend up through the 400s (not that losing a couple of available routes should have been much of a concern)?

[roadfro]

Any idea why both interstate spurs in Nevada start with "5" when there are no 1xx or 3xx routes? Was it to avoid conflict with the block of primary state route numbers which extend up through the 400s (not that losing a couple of available routes should have been much of a concern)?

Short answer: It might have something to do with the 1976 renumbering scheme. 100 and 300 numbers would've been located in rural counties, while the 500 numbers were part of the urban route number series.

Interestingly, 515 fits into the numbering scheme for (former) urban routes in Carson City, while 580 fits into the scheme for the Las Vegas area--obviously, the two highways are located in the opposite areas.

[roadfro]

NDOT had an application in to the AASHTO Route Numbering Committee for relocating US 395 between Carson City & Reno along what is known as the I-580 Freeway Extension. There is also an application to make old highways (what is currently SR 429 and the southern segment of SR 430) into a new US 395 Alternate. Both of these were approved by committee.

The US 395 relocation packet indicates the freeway extension should be opening on July 15, 2012. In both applications, it shows I-580 symbols on the new freeway facility--but there wasn't a separate application to extend the I-580 designation. So who knows if I-580 shields will be going up when that opens...

[myosh_tino]

NDOT had an application in to the AASHTO Route Numbering Committee for relocating US 395 between Carson City & Reno along what is known as the I-580 Freeway Extension. There is also an application to make old highways (what is currently SR 429 and the southern segment of SR 430) into a new US 395 Alternate. Both of these were approved by committee.

The US 395 relocation packet indicates the freeway extension should be opening on July 15, 2012. In both applications, it shows I-580 symbols on the new freeway facility--but there wasn't a separate application to extend the I-580 designation. So who knows if I-580 shields will be going up when that opens...

I'll be in Reno about a week after the "scheduled" opening.  Hopefully the freeway will be open by then.  Do you think it's possible that NDOT is waiting until the final segment of the Carson City bypass is completed before asking AASHTO for the I-580 designation from Reno to the 50/395 interchange south of Carson City?

[roadfro]

I'll be in Reno about a week after the "scheduled" opening.  Hopefully the freeway will be open by then.  Do you think it's possible that NDOT is waiting until the final segment of the Carson City bypass is completed before asking AASHTO for the I-580 designation from Reno to the 50/395 interchange south of Carson City?

That's what they did with I-515. They didn't sign it until it was complete all the way to the end of Henderson in 1994-95, despite much of it being built in the mid 80s.

[roadfro]

Looking over the meeting minutes from the AASHTO Route Numbering Committee, there is background information about the I-580 designation. Apparently, extension of the I-580 designation was approved by FHWA in 1984!  FHWA's position seems to be that NDOT can sign I-580 once there is complete freeway clear to US 50 in Carson City and a request for addition to the Interstate system is processed by FHWA. So NDOT could conceivably start adding I-580 shields to US 395 sometime this year.

[gonealookin]

The full opening of the freeway is now scheduled for late July with the interchange at the south end to be completed a couple months later.  I have July 14 or 21 penciled in as the likely dates for the bike ride and fun run.

[Kniwt]

The pre-opening walk/run/bike event on I-580 has been announced and is set for July 28:

http://www.freewayextension.com/

Run, Walk, or Bike the New I-580 Freeway
July 28, 2012  7 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Celebrate the soon-to-open I-580 Freeway by biking, walking or running along the freeway, including the Galena Creek Bridge — the longest concrete cathedral arch bridge in the nation!

FREE JULY 28 "RUSH TO WASHOE"  EVENTS

7 a.m. - Self-timed 5 and 10K Fun Run (northbound lanes only)

7:30 a.m. — 1 p.m.: Bike Ride/Walk (northbound lanes only)

8 a.m. — 1 p.m.: Open to Vehicles (southbound lanes only)

For the July 28 event, motorists will have the opportunity to drive on the eight-and-a-half-mile freeway beginning at 8 a.m. and can access the southbound lanes of the new freeway from either the existing southbound I-580 freeway or the Mt. Rose Highway. Signage will direct biking and walking participants to event parking.

[andy3175]

The June 2012 update to the Nevada State Maintained Highways Descriptions and Maps shows the planned routing of Alternate U.S. 395, which includes both former U.S. 395 and Nevada 429 along the sections to be bypassed by the new Interstate 580. The maps in the June 2012 update also shows the planned routes of Interstate 580, U.S. 395, and U.S. 395A. See page 4 for the text description and page 7 for the map of I-580 and US 395A:

http://www.nevadadot.com/uploadedFiles/NDOT/About_NDOT/NDOT_Divisions/Planning/Roadway_Systems/DI_2012QTR2.pdf

On another note, the official I-580 webpage (http://www.freewayextension.com/) now states that the "freeway is scheduled to officially open to all traffic by mid-August." There is still no firm date to open the road to traffic, other than the planned walk event on July 28.

Regards,
Andy

[roadfro]

^ Interesting... The new route log has been updated with those changes and the addition of US 395 Alt, but has not been updated with new mileage for I-580 (still only showing the proposed mileage, and the ~5 miles existing on the books between I-80 and Neil Road, with nothing for the gap or Washoe Valley & Carson City sections which should be posted with opening of the freeway. However, it appears that new milepost panel requests are in the works for these sections...

I also find the new US 395 Alt routing a little interesting. The alt route did not need to go as far north as it does--I think NDOT was just trying to use it to eliminate the southern portion of SR 430 altogether. The new designation also needlessly overlaps the US 395 Business designation on AASHTO's books (but this is so poorly signed that NDOT probably forgot about it).

[gonealookin]

It looks like the former Nevada 429 through the Washoe Valley will continue to be primarily referenced this way:

[national highway 1]

It looks like the former Nevada 429 through the Washoe Valley will continue to be primarily referenced this way:

Compare it to this sign on I-15 at Exit 43 in San Diego County:

[roadfro]

It looks like the former Nevada 429 through the Washoe Valley will continue to be primarily referenced this way:

Very interesting. AASHTO approved changing the current US 395 highway to US 395 Alternate, and that change is now on NDOT's most recent highway log (it basically took over SR 429 and the southern segment of SR 430). So I would have expected to see "US 395 Alternate" signed instead of "Old US 395".

[Interstate Trav]

It looks like the former Nevada 429 through the Washoe Valley will continue to be primarily referenced this way:

Very interesting. AASHTO approved changing the current US 395 highway to US 395 Alternate, and that change is now on NDOT's most recent highway log (it basically took over SR 429 and the southern segment of SR 430). So I would have expected to see "US 395 Alternate" signed instead of "Old US 395".

Is the new freeway opened?  Is that part of it, and does it go to Carson City now as well?

[gonealookin]

Is the new freeway opened?  Is that part of it, and does it go to Carson City now as well?

The photos of the sign above and the two below were taken yesterday, near the south end of the extension project where the freeway enters Washoe Valley.





So, there are just a few finishing touches remaining, with the freeway opening planned for about a month from now.  At that time US 395 will be a full freeway from the CA-NV border on the north through Reno to its present terminus at Fairview Drive in Carson City.  The completion of the bypass around the southeast side of Carson City still hasn't been funded.

Another note on this:  With most of the signage installed at Exit 50 it's clear that there is no intent to put up Interstate 580 shields at this time.  US 395 shields abound on the "Freeway Entrance" posts and other directional signs, but there's not a hint of red, white and blue.

[roadfro]

Another note on this:  With most of the signage installed at Exit 50 it's clear that there is no intent to put up Interstate 580 shields at this time.  US 395 shields abound on the "Freeway Entrance" posts and other directional signs, but there's not a hint of red, white and blue.

I haven't been out to look at this construction in a while. What I find interesting is the lack of I-580 shields. NDOT has gotten the okay from AASHTO to sign I-580 from I-80 in Reno clear to US 50 in Carson City.

I'm guessing the original construction documents for the freeway extension only included US 395 shields in the signage plan, as it appears NDOT may not have known what I-580's status would be at the time of bidding the project. Assuming this, NDOT may have planned to later advertise a signage-only contract (or do an in-house signage job) to post I-580 shields along the entire route all at once.

[myosh_tino]

I haven't been out to look at this construction in a while. What I find interesting is the lack of I-580 shields. NDOT has gotten the okay from AASHTO to sign I-580 from I-80 in Reno clear to US 50 in Carson City.

I'm guessing the original construction documents for the freeway extension only included US 395 shields in the signage plan, as it appears NDOT may not have known what I-580's status would be at the time of bidding the project. Assuming this, NDOT may have planned to later advertise a signage-only contract (or do an in-house signage job) to post I-580 shields along the entire route all at once.

Could another plausible explanation be NDOT is waiting for the entire route to be constructed before putting up the I-580 shields?  Of course, that would mean having to wait until the currently unfunded final segment of the Carson City Bypass is built.

[roadfro]

I haven't been out to look at this construction in a while. What I find interesting is the lack of I-580 shields. NDOT has gotten the okay from AASHTO to sign I-580 from I-80 in Reno clear to US 50 in Carson City.

I'm guessing the original construction documents for the freeway extension only included US 395 shields in the signage plan, as it appears NDOT may not have known what I-580's status would be at the time of bidding the project. Assuming this, NDOT may have planned to later advertise a signage-only contract (or do an in-house signage job) to post I-580 shields along the entire route all at once.

Could another plausible explanation be NDOT is waiting for the entire route to be constructed before putting up the I-580 shields?  Of course, that would mean having to wait until the currently unfunded final segment of the Carson City Bypass is built.

That is also certainly plausible. That is what NDOT did with I-515 in Las Vegas/Henderson...it wasn't signed until the ultimate envisioned buildout (at the time) was complete, despite freeway construction having stopped at some logical junctions a couple times previously.

With the amount that NDOT has talked about the I-580 designation (the current project being consistently referred to as the "I-580 Freeway Extension"), it just seems like NDOT would want to get the red and blue shields up sooner rather than later. They've got the OK to sign down to US 50, which is a logical terminus.

[national highway 1]

It looks like the former Nevada 429 through the Washoe Valley will continue to be primarily referenced this way:

Are these California-style cantilevered gantries with the catwalk and lighting etc. commonplace in Nevada? Seems pretty prevalent on the I-580 project.

[myosh_tino]

It looks like the former Nevada 429 through the Washoe Valley will continue to be primarily referenced this way:

Are these California-style cantilevered gantries with the catwalk and lighting etc. commonplace in Nevada? Seems pretty prevalent on the I-580 project.

From what I've seen, the answer is "yes" however I will defer to Roadfro to confirm or deny.

[roadfro]

^ That is pretty much the only sign bridge style NDOT uses, and is the only one in their standard specifications for freeway/expressway use. It has been standard as long as I can remember. The only exception tends to be light-duty overhead signs on urban roads, which use a much smaller truss (although these are fewer and farther between nowadays, in favor of the standard truss.)

One new exception appears to be I-80 design-build project currently underway in Reno. It looks like they're installing mono-tube curved sign poles (similar to California-style) for nearly all overhead sign structures on I-80 in Reno-Sparks--no signs yet but plenty of poles are in place. I've never seen this style used anywhere in Nevada (in person or in pictures)--I'm guessing this is a aesthetic design element they're trying out. I'm also assuming all new signs won't be lit.

[roadfro]

The pre-opening walk/run/bike event on I-580 has been announced and is set for July 28:

Additional information has been posted by NDOT for the event this weekend: http://www.nevadadot.com/News/Press_Releases/2012/I-580_Freeway_July_28_Public_Walk/Run/Bike_Event.aspx
Driving on the freeway will not be at freeway conditions, but rather vehicles restricted to one southbound lane at 5-25 mph.

I am hoping that I will be able to get out to the event and get some good pictures from on the freeway.


BTW: An official completion date still has not been announced; most media outlets are still reporting that the freeway is expected to open to traffic in mid-August.

[swbrotha100]

^ That is pretty much the only sign bridge style NDOT uses, and is the only one in their standard specifications for freeway/expressway use. It has been standard as long as I can remember. The only exception tends to be light-duty overhead signs on urban roads, which use a much smaller truss (although these are fewer and farther between nowadays, in favor of the standard truss.)

One new exception appears to be I-80 design-build project currently underway in Reno. It looks like they're installing mono-tube curved sign poles (similar to California-style) for nearly all overhead sign structures on I-80 in Reno-Sparks--no signs yet but plenty of poles are in place. I've never seen this style used anywhere in Nevada (in person or in pictures)--I'm guessing this is a aesthetic design element they're trying out. I'm also assuming all new signs won't be lit.

I'm surprised Nevada has never had any monotube freeway sign poles before. Most of the other western states, as well as a few areas in other parts of the country, have them scattered around.