I-80 East of Reno Widening Project

[roadfro]

NDOT is finalizing an Environmental Assessment for a proposed widening project along I-80 between Vista Blvd (exit 21) in Sparks and USA Pkwy/SR 439 (exit 33) near the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center. Proposed improvements are meant to help address increasing traffic associated with TRIC and increase safety, and plan to include adding a third lane in each direction as well as adding wider shoulders.

NDOT has a virtual public hearing website up now, and will be holding an in-person public hearing on Wednesday, June 25th in Lockwood. Public comment will be accepted until July 18, 2025.

https://i80eastnv.com/ 


These improvements will be very welcome. I-80 to SR 439 is the main access to TRIC, and a lot of the people working out there live in Reno-Sparks. Much of this stretch has minimal 4-foot shoulders, so a blocked travel lane due to a crash during peak hours becomes a real slog for commuters as there is no viable alternate route. 

[DJStephens]

TRIC is the Tahoe Reno Industrial Complex.  Home of the Tesla "gigafactory".  TRIC is said to be one of the largest industrial parks in the country, with over 100,000 acres.   

[US 395]

It was about freaking time to be honest. Traffic on that stretch of 80 has gotten horrendous, especially with how frequent crashes are occurring on there and with no way to get around them

[roadfro]

It was about freaking time to be honest. Traffic on that stretch of 80 has gotten horrendous, especially with how frequent crashes are occurring on there and with no way to get around them

True, but don't sing praises just yet, as relief is still a ways out. If environmental is completed this fall as planned, NDOT projects two years design and construction spanning three seasons. They're estimating potential construction packaging and bid to finalize mid/late-2027 and construction wrapping up in 2031.

Why so long? A lot of earthwork (significant cuts and fills), a relatively narrow right of way abutting railroad and/or Truckee River (so potentially a lot of retaining walls), widening the two directions mostly using existing roadway profiles (which are at different elevations, necessitating median retaining walls along most of the length), and a commitment to generally keeping two lanes open during construction.