Will I-515 be renumbered as I-11? Also I-11 Exit numbers in Nevada

[Interstate Trav]

I read that it looks like I-11 is becoming more of a reality, and I was wondering do you think I-515 will be renumbered as I-11 soon?  Also should I-11 have it's own exit numbers or keep the one's based on US 95?

[NE2]

Do you think this should have been posted in the fictional ghetto?

[roadman65]

He's talking about a highway that currently exists.  If he have been suggesting on his own to re-number it to I-11 or if someone was to say that VA 28 should be I-366, then it would be fictional.

[myosh_tino]

When I-11 (not "if" but when) is signed along US 93 in Nevada, I suspect exit numbering will begin at the Nevada/Arizona stateline with the exit to the Boulder Dam being Exit 1.  I guess that means exits along the current I-515 will have to be renumbered.

[Interstate Trav]

Do you think this should have been posted in the fictional ghetto?

No because as someone else pointed out this is based on something that actually is happening.  If I were to say something about turning US 101 into I-3, that's fictional.

[Interstate Trav]

When I-11 (not "if" but when) is signed along US 93 in Nevada, I suspect exit numbering will begin at the Nevada/Arizona stateline with the exit to the Boulder Dam being Exit 1.  I guess that means exits along the current I-515 will have to be renumbered.

I just wonder if that will be confusing to Las Vegas residents, since at the I-15 jct the exit numbers for the same mainland freeway will jump up for US 95, and drop going Southbound.  But I think it should be renumbered for I-11.  I just hope they don't make it I-515/I-11/US 93/US 95.

[drummer_evans_aki]

I'd imagine that when I-11 does enter Nevada, the exit numbers will reset. I don't see it retaining the I-515 exit numbers.

On another note, I think I-11 should be extended to Portland via Reno, Susanville, Lakeview, and Bend. It can be a very good truck corridor. Have I-11 end at I-84 in Troutdale, OR.

[myosh_tino]

But Interstate Trav does have an interesting point.  Assuming I-11 ends at I-15, drivers continuing north would transition back to US 95 and exit numbers would jump from 33 (approx for I-15) to 77 (Rancho Drive).

I just hope they don't make it I-515/I-11/US 93/US 95.

I think, for continuity, US 93 and US 95 will have to be cosigned just like it is now with I-515.  I would think the I-515 designation would have to go away and be replaced with I-11.

Note: In theory, if I-11 were to completely replace US 93 in Arizona, US 93 could be decommissioned from Las Vegas to Wickenburg, AZ.  US 93 would then begin at I-15 north of Las Vegas.

[roadfro]

I read that it looks like I-11 is becoming more of a reality, and I was wondering do you think I-515 will be renumbered as I-11 soon?

No. Simply because there is no compelling reason to renumber I-515 in the near future. I-11 would not be connecting to anything substantial for several years that is not already part of I-515.

Certainly when I-11 does come to fruition, a quick swap of old I-515 shields for new I-11 shields will be in order. Las Vegas locals won't miss the 515 number too much...I-515 was first posted in late 1994/early 1995...it wasn't until the mid 2000s that people actually started referring to it as "the 515"--although it is still more frequently called "the 95".

Also should I-11 have it's own exit numbers or keep the one's based on US 95?

I touched on this in the I-11 over in the Mountain West board, but it bears repeating in this new thread.

Right now, the exit numbering on I-515/US 93/US 95 follows mileposts for US 95. The reason for this is that US 95 is the through route (as I-515 ends at I-15 and US 93 switches freeways to follow I-15), so it made sense to keep the exit numbers with US 95 for continuity. The part of the US 95 freeway north/west of I-15 actually came first before the part currently cosigned with I-515, so there lies that continuity as well. Also, historically, as the 515/93/95 freeway was built, new mileposts used US 95 (to tie into the freeway segments of US 95 west of I-15, which came first) while the old route (now SR 582) continued to use US 93 mileposts.

When I-11 becomes a reality, I would guess that NDOT would continue to use US 95's exit numbering due to the continuity issue. This would avoiding having an approximate gap of 40 in the exit numbering in the middle of Vegas on a through route. However, if the long term idea of extending I-11 north along US 95 through Nevada towards Canada gaines any traction into reality, then renumbering all exits to follow I-11 would make much more sense.

[roadfro]

When I-11 (not "if" but when) is signed along US 93 in Nevada, I suspect exit numbering will begin at the Nevada/Arizona stateline with the exit to the Boulder Dam being Exit 1.  I guess that means exits along the current I-515 will have to be renumbered.

The current exit to Hoover Dam along US 93 is Exit 2.

[myosh_tino]

The current exit to Hoover Dam along US 93 is Exit 2.

My mistake.  Thanks for catching that roadfro.

If what you said happens, that the exit numbers will be retained on the current I-515 freeway, won't that move the gap from the I-15 interchange to the US 95 interchange west of Boulder City?  Exits along the future Boulder Bypass would get sub-30 exit numbers (exit numbers less than 30) and then would suddenly jump to the 50's when US 95 joins.  I guess that would be better than having the gap in downtown Las Vegas (the lesser of two evils?).

[Interstate Trav]

I agree US 93 and US 95 would still have to be co signed, I meant I hope they don't keep I-515 too, that would be pretty redundant.

In responce to Roadfro and myosh_tino,

I think the gap in the exit numbers will be a problem at either location.  i can see the argument for keeping to US 95, but at the same time if I-11 is a primary Interstate, which a 2 di is, then I think normally it should be the one controling the exit numbers, especially since the control poin along that freeway is Phoenix anyways, not sure if Needles is even mentioned anymore.

But having a giant gap at I-15 of 40 miles worth of exit numbering could be confusing too, but at the same time I think it will be changed in favor of I-11.  But if I-11 gets extended further north, then it really is a no brainer.

Also if US 93 is completely taken over, then US 93 could end at it's jct with I-15 North of Las Vegas, or be re routed on side streets.

I'm sure as you guys can tell I don't know which way I go with the exit numbers for I-11 yet.  But I almost want to lean towards I-11 taking over the exit numbers.

[andy3175]

A possible scenario would be extending I-11 all the way to the future I-215 interchange northwest of downtown Las Vegas. A second option would be to extend I-11 northwest until it converts to a divided highway (similar to how I-26 ends in Tennessee). In these scenarios, it seems to me that the exit numbers can start at Hoover Dam and extend west and then north all the way along the now-US 95 freeway until the freeway ends, thus eliminating any errant exit numbers.

Besides, US 95 itself south of I-11/US 93 is now four lanes from Nevada 163 north to the US 93 interchange. I think (RoadFro might know better) there are plans to construct a bypass of US 95 around Searchlight. This will make most of the route expressway, with limited at-grade intersections. That could further impact the exit numbering situation down the line.

Of course, all of this is moot for the short term since I don't think FHWA and AASHTO are signing "completed" sections of Interstate 11 similar to Interstate 69, Interstate 73, Interstate 74 East, Interstate 99, and other Congressionally-approved Interstate routes with legislative numbers because (as far as I know) Interstate 11 was not legislatively defined the way those other routes were mandated. I think we'll see Interstate 11 signed once significant portions of the future route are brought up to standards (in this case, building the Boulder City bypass and constructing freeway to freeway connections to Interstate 40 at Kingman, eliminating at-grade intersections from the expressway segments in Arizona, and constructing the link from Wickenburg to Interstate 10). Those upgrades will come in time, but they are not happening today or tomorrow. All in good time.

Regards,
Andy

[national highway 1]

But having a giant gap at I-15 of 40 miles worth of exit numbering could be confusing too, but at the same time I think it will be changed in favor of I-11.  But if I-11 gets extended further north, then it really is a no brainer.

Also if US 93 is completely taken over, then US 93 could end at it's jct with I-15 North of Las Vegas,

I'm fine with US 93 being truncated at Exit 64 of I-15. Read my post (at the very bottom of the quote) from the I-11 topic in 'Mountain West'.

I agree with renumbering I-515 as I-11 since I-11 is going to be there anyways if this gets built, and since I-515 is cosigned it's entire run.  To me it always just added confusion to the route.  The only thing I wonder is if the exit numbers would stay the same to reflect US 95 or change for I-11 to the HooverDam?  Since I-11 would be the main Interstate it should take over, but then you have all the exits south of I-15 being renumbered, and they change pretty largely at I-15 since, then US 95 takes over.

But would it be better to have exit numbers based on US 95 or I-11 through Las Vegas?

Also Sign the I-515 as I-11 then past that have it signed at Future I-11.

I actually am on the fence about I-11 exit numbering, considering your point that US 95 is the primary Route, but once a two digit Interstate takes over to I-15, I wonder if it wouldn't be better to have the exit numbers reflect that, considering the control point along that freeway is Phoenix, isn't it?

But I do agree that 40 mile gap in numbering would be a little confusing, but the long term plan I had heard was to extend I-11 further, but I'm sure that is not going to happen for some time.  I'm shocked that this part is actually gaining traction.

I reckon once the Boulder City bypass is complete and I-11 is eventually signed, let US 95's exit numbers continue off I-11's exit numbers north of I-15 as if I-11 were to be extended up US 95. Not really much confusion unless US 95 between Needles and Henderson is upgraded to a freeway.

[Interstate Trav]

But having a giant gap at I-15 of 40 miles worth of exit numbering could be confusing too, but at the same time I think it will be changed in favor of I-11.  But if I-11 gets extended further north, then it really is a no brainer.

Also if US 93 is completely taken over, then US 93 could end at it's jct with I-15 North of Las Vegas,

I'm fine with US 93 being truncated at Exit 64 of I-15. Read my post (at the very bottom of the quote) from the I-11 topic in 'Mountain West'.

I agree with renumbering I-515 as I-11 since I-11 is going to be there anyways if this gets built, and since I-515 is cosigned it's entire run.  To me it always just added confusion to the route.  The only thing I wonder is if the exit numbers would stay the same to reflect US 95 or change for I-11 to the HooverDam?  Since I-11 would be the main Interstate it should take over, but then you have all the exits south of I-15 being renumbered, and they change pretty largely at I-15 since, then US 95 takes over.

But would it be better to have exit numbers based on US 95 or I-11 through Las Vegas?

Also Sign the I-515 as I-11 then past that have it signed at Future I-11.

I actually am on the fence about I-11 exit numbering, considering your point that US 95 is the primary Route, but once a two digit Interstate takes over to I-15, I wonder if it wouldn't be better to have the exit numbers reflect that, considering the control point along that freeway is Phoenix, isn't it?

But I do agree that 40 mile gap in numbering would be a little confusing, but the long term plan I had heard was to extend I-11 further, but I'm sure that is not going to happen for some time.  I'm shocked that this part is actually gaining traction.

I reckon once the Boulder City bypass is complete and I-11 is eventually signed, let US 95's exit numbers continue off I-11's exit numbers north of I-15 as if I-11 were to be extended up US 95. Not really much confusion unless US 95 between Needles and Henderson is upgraded to a freeway.

I agree with US 93 being trunicated to North of Las Vegas.  The short segment that might exist in Arizona could just be AZ 93, and in Nevada have it be NV 93.  Basically the route through Boulder City

[national highway 1]

But having a giant gap at I-15 of 40 miles worth of exit numbering could be confusing too, but at the same time I think it will be changed in favor of I-11.  But if I-11 gets extended further north, then it really is a no brainer.

Also if US 93 is completely taken over, then US 93 could end at it's jct with I-15 North of Las Vegas,

I'm fine with US 93 being truncated at Exit 64 of I-15. Read my post (at the very bottom of the quote) from the I-11 topic in 'Mountain West'.

I agree with renumbering I-515 as I-11 since I-11 is going to be there anyways if this gets built, and since I-515 is cosigned it's entire run.  To me it always just added confusion to the route.  The only thing I wonder is if the exit numbers would stay the same to reflect US 95 or change for I-11 to the HooverDam?  Since I-11 would be the main Interstate it should take over, but then you have all the exits south of I-15 being renumbered, and they change pretty largely at I-15 since, then US 95 takes over.

But would it be better to have exit numbers based on US 95 or I-11 through Las Vegas?

Also Sign the I-515 as I-11 then past that have it signed at Future I-11.

I actually am on the fence about I-11 exit numbering, considering your point that US 95 is the primary Route, but once a two digit Interstate takes over to I-15, I wonder if it wouldn't be better to have the exit numbers reflect that, considering the control point along that freeway is Phoenix, isn't it?

But I do agree that 40 mile gap in numbering would be a little confusing, but the long term plan I had heard was to extend I-11 further, but I'm sure that is not going to happen for some time.  I'm shocked that this part is actually gaining traction.

I reckon once the Boulder City bypass is complete and I-11 is eventually signed, let US 95's exit numbers continue off I-11's exit numbers north of I-15 as if I-11 were to be extended up US 95. Not really much confusion unless US 95 between Needles and Henderson is upgraded to a freeway.

I agree with US 93 being trunicated to North of Las Vegas.  The short segment that might exist in Arizona could just be AZ 93, and in Nevada have it be NV 93.  Basically the route through Boulder City.

Nevada doesn't use two-digit routes anymore, the only two-digit routes are 28 and 88, which are continuations of CA Routes. NV 140 was meant to changed to NV 291 in the 1976 renumbering, but was retained as it was a continuation of OR 140. I'm sure the old US 93 alignment would be a 17x route, similar to NV 172, or it could be BL I-11.

[roadfro]

The current exit to Hoover Dam along US 93 is Exit 2.

My mistake.  Thanks for catching that roadfro.

If what you said happens, that the exit numbers will be retained on the current I-515 freeway, won't that move the gap from the I-15 interchange to the US 95 interchange west of Boulder City?  Exits along the future Boulder Bypass would get sub-30 exit numbers (exit numbers less than 30) and then would suddenly jump to the 50's when US 95 joins.  I guess that would be better than having the gap in downtown Las Vegas (the lesser of two evils?).

Note that there are no interchanges planned along the Boulder City Bypass between the new US 93/95 interchange and where the bypass would join the current US 93 mainline just north/west of the Hoover Dam interchange. So you'd have an exit 2 for Hoover Dam, an exit 3 or 4 for Boulder City access, then a 5-10 mile gap before the US 95 interchange.

A possible scenario would be extending I-11 all the way to the future I-215 interchange northwest of downtown Las Vegas. A second option would be to extend I-11 northwest until it converts to a divided highway (similar to how I-26 ends in Tennessee). In these scenarios, it seems to me that the exit numbers can start at Hoover Dam and extend west and then north all the way along the now-US 95 freeway until the freeway ends, thus eliminating any errant exit numbers.

Besides, US 95 itself south of I-11/US 93 is now four lanes from Nevada 163 north to the US 93 interchange. I think (RoadFro might know better) there are plans to construct a bypass of US 95 around Searchlight. This will make most of the route expressway, with limited at-grade intersections. That could further impact the exit numbering situation down the line.

The only issue with short term idea to extend I-11 anywhere past the northern 215 interchange is that there is no logical point at which to terminate the route. Since any extension beyond I-15 is uncertain at this point--not having gained nearly the traction as the Vegas to Phoenix concept--it's almost a pointless exercise to speculate too much in that direction.

BTW: I know of no plans for a US 95 bypass of Searchlight. If that was under serious consideration, I think it would have happened when US 95 was being widened south of Boulder City. The main reason NDOT did that widening in the first place was the increase in traffic along the route due to it being part of the Hoover Dam truck detour.

I agree with US 93 being trunicated to North of Las Vegas.  <...> in Nevada have it be NV 93.  Basically the route through Boulder City.

Nevada doesn't use two-digit routes anymore, <...> I'm sure the old US 93 alignment would be a 17x route, similar to NV 172, or it could be BL I-11.

When US 93 finally bypasses Boulder City, you can bet the old route through town will receive a "Business 93" designation--the business owners in Boulder City weren't very happy with the southern alternative alignment chosen... Should the route become I-11, A BL-11 might be in order.

This doesn't necessarily mean that the old route would still be a state highway, or would retain state highway status for very long. US 395 Business in Carson City (the old US 395 mainline) has been mostly turned back to the city.

[Interstate Trav]

But having a giant gap at I-15 of 40 miles worth of exit numbering could be confusing too, but at the same time I think it will be changed in favor of I-11.  But if I-11 gets extended further north, then it really is a no brainer.

Also if US 93 is completely taken over, then US 93 could end at it's jct with I-15 North of Las Vegas,

I'm fine with US 93 being truncated at Exit 64 of I-15. Read my post (at the very bottom of the quote) from the I-11 topic in 'Mountain West'.

I agree with renumbering I-515 as I-11 since I-11 is going to be there anyways if this gets built, and since I-515 is cosigned it's entire run.  To me it always just added confusion to the route.  The only thing I wonder is if the exit numbers would stay the same to reflect US 95 or change for I-11 to the HooverDam?  Since I-11 would be the main Interstate it should take over, but then you have all the exits south of I-15 being renumbered, and they change pretty largely at I-15 since, then US 95 takes over.

But would it be better to have exit numbers based on US 95 or I-11 through Las Vegas?

Also Sign the I-515 as I-11 then past that have it signed at Future I-11.

I actually am on the fence about I-11 exit numbering, considering your point that US 95 is the primary Route, but once a two digit Interstate takes over to I-15, I wonder if it wouldn't be better to have the exit numbers reflect that, considering the control point along that freeway is Phoenix, isn't it?

But I do agree that 40 mile gap in numbering would be a little confusing, but the long term plan I had heard was to extend I-11 further, but I'm sure that is not going to happen for some time.  I'm shocked that this part is actually gaining traction.

I reckon once the Boulder City bypass is complete and I-11 is eventually signed, let US 95's exit numbers continue off I-11's exit numbers north of I-15 as if I-11 were to be extended up US 95. Not really much confusion unless US 95 between Needles and Henderson is upgraded to a freeway.

I agree with US 93 being trunicated to North of Las Vegas.  The short segment that might exist in Arizona could just be AZ 93, and in Nevada have it be NV 93.  Basically the route through Boulder City.

Nevada doesn't use two-digit routes anymore, the only two-digit routes are 28 and 88, which are continuations of CA Routes. NV 140 was meant to changed to NV 291 in the 1976 renumbering, but was retained as it was a continuation of OR 140. I'm sure the old US 93 alignment would be a 17x route, similar to NV 172, or it could be BL I-11.

I actually did not know that Nevada didn't use two digit State Routes anymore.  Learn something new everytday.  Thanks for the information.

[swbrotha100]

I-11 is written into law now. What do you think of the Boulder City bypass being tolled? I read that as a possibility in a website for one of the Las Vegas papers.

[roadfro]

I-11 is written into law now. What do you think of the Boulder City bypass being tolled? I read that as a possibility in a website for one of the Las Vegas papers.

That is a possibility. The main part of the proposed bypass, between the US 95 and Hoover Dam interchanges, is currently undergoing a feasibility study by the Southern Nevada RTC to see whether constructing and operating it as a toll facility would be a viable way to get it in place. During the last legislative session, a bill was passed that would allow NDOT & RTC to pursue this as a demonstration project--currently, Nevada law does not allow toll road facilities.

IMHO, they should have chosen a through-town alignment for the bypass. This would have been significantly cheaper to construct, and not have the problem of going through extremely mountainous terrain and going waaay south out of the way to bypass--thus resulting in higher costs. This could have kept traffic in town for businesses, but mostly off the city streets. Now, they're looking at a toll road to pay for this. The tolled route will be several miles longer than going through town, and it won't save any time on the drive after stopping to pay a toll--when you think about it, this kind of route would not be frequented by enough drivers to implement any kind of toll transponder program, and Nevada has no infrastructure set up for this anyway.
</rant>

[brad2971]

I-11 is written into law now. What do you think of the Boulder City bypass being tolled? I read that as a possibility in a website for one of the Las Vegas papers.

That is a possibility. The main part of the proposed bypass, between the US 95 and Hoover Dam interchanges, is currently undergoing a feasibility study by the Southern Nevada RTC to see whether constructing and operating it as a toll facility would be a viable way to get it in place. During the last legislative session, a bill was passed that would allow NDOT & RTC to pursue this as a demonstration project--currently, Nevada law does not allow toll road facilities.

IMHO, they should have chosen a through-town alignment for the bypass. This would have been significantly cheaper to construct, and not have the problem of going through extremely mountainous terrain and going waaay south out of the way to bypass--thus resulting in higher costs. This could have kept traffic in town for businesses, but mostly off the city streets. Now, they're looking at a toll road to pay for this. The tolled route will be several miles longer than going through town, and it won't save any time on the drive after stopping to pay a toll--when you think about it, this kind of route would not be frequented by enough drivers to implement any kind of toll transponder program, and Nevada has no infrastructure set up for this anyway.
</rant>

Such a toll route would be too easy to 'shunpike;' from Phoenix, you'd simply take I-40 to the US95 turnoff and head north. BTW, some cost estimates for that new terrain bypass were around $300 million. If that was the case, apparently someone in Harry Reid's office is too inexperienced to place an earmark for it.

[Zonie]

Looks like I-11 would supersede I-515:

http://interstate11.org/exhibits/Interstate%2011%20Corridor%20Map%202-09.pdf

[mcdonaat]

I'm far from Arizona, but looking at maps, it confuses me as to why I-11 is needed instead of a concurrent I-19/I-10, then I-19 splitting off to the north. Any ideas?

[swbrotha100]

There's the possibility that one day I-11 gets extended north from Las Vegas to Reno.

[Rover_0]

There's the possibility that one day I-11 gets extended north from Las Vegas to Reno.

But, to be honest, that day is a ways away.