Interstate 11 alignment, though Vegas and points north

[The Ghostbuster]

The Interstate 11 and Interstate 515 pages on Wikipedia have been updated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_11; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_515. 515 is now considered decommissioned and Interstate 11 has been extended to NV 157. Now all they have to do is renumber the exits north of Interstate 215 to correspond with Interstate 11's mileage.

[pderocco]

Does NDOT really say that it "will" go all the way to Mexico and Canada? That attitude reminds me of those extravagant developments that daft dreamers launch out in the desert that remain giant webs of little paths scratched in the dirt fifty years later. No, I think I-11 will end up being a respectable road, at best comparable to I-8.

I don't think so.  I don't think I've ever read any proposal to extend I-11 north of I-80 outside of users here pontificating.  In fact, doesn't the Canada-Mexico corridor often citied with I-11 join I-15 in Vegas and take that to Canada?

That would make sense. There really isn't anywhere that high-volume long-haul truckers need to go in Canada between Vancouver and Calgary.

[cl94]

There have been some very general and aspirational proposals to send I-11 to the Willamette Valley, Spokane, or Boise, using either US 95 or US 395 north of I-80. None of these warrant it and all would have some serious terrain issues to deal with. 95 north of Winnemucca warrants some improvements in the form of passing lanes, but a full freeway is overkill. These are 65-70 MPH surface roads and you'd get little time reduction with freeway limits.

[lstone19]

There have been some very general and aspirational proposals to send I-11 to the Willamette Valley, Spokane, or Boise, using either US 95 or US 395 north of I-80. None of these warrant it and all would have some serious terrain issues to deal with. 95 north of Winnemucca warrants some improvements in the form of passing lanes, but a full freeway is overkill. These are 65-70 MPH surface roads and you'd get little time reduction with freeway limits.

Yes. Most of the benefit will come from upgrading from two lanes to four-lane divided. Full limited access will add almost nothing. I drive 395 from Reno down to SoCal two or three times a year and outside the cities and towns, the road flies. Any section of that that is already four-lane divided will not benefit from making it limited access.

[roadfro]

Just the other day, I did see a freeway entrance sign package for Summerlin Parkway. Saw it on Buffalo. I'm like, about time.
I don't see exit numbers ever going up though.

I mentioned in another thread that there are now exit numbers on the west half of Summerlin Pkwy (including Nevada's first instance of "Exit 0").

The Interstate 11 and Interstate 515 pages on Wikipedia have been updated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_11; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_515. 515 is now considered decommissioned and Interstate 11 has been extended to NV 157. Now all they have to do is renumber the exits north of Interstate 215 to correspond with Interstate 11's mileage.

Those edits were a bit premature, given that the signing project mentioned on the last page hasn't even been awarded to a contractor yet...

[The Ghostbuster]

Wikipedia may have jumped the gun in updating their Interstate 11 and 515 pages, but it's only a matter of time before the updates become current. As for those suggestions about sending Interstate 11 to Oregon or Washington state, while there was a study published a decade ago (http://i11study.com/IWC-Study/PDF/2014/I-11CCR_Report_2014-12_sm.pdf;), making it an Interstate 11 extension is a pipe dream worthy of Fictional Highways.

[mgk920]

Does NDOT really say that it "will" go all the way to Mexico and Canada? That attitude reminds me of those extravagant developments that daft dreamers launch out in the desert that remain giant webs of little paths scratched in the dirt fifty years later. No, I think I-11 will end up being a respectable road, at best comparable to I-8.

I don't think so.  I don't think I've ever read any proposal to extend I-11 north of I-80 outside of users here pontificating.  In fact, doesn't the Canada-Mexico corridor often citied with I-11 join I-15 in Vegas and take that to Canada?

Well, I-15 does point towards Calgary and Edmonton.   

Mike

[cl94]

Wikipedia may have jumped the gun in updating their Interstate 11 and 515 pages, but it's only a matter of time before the updates become current. As for those suggestions about sending Interstate 11 to Oregon or Washington state, while there was a study published a decade ago (http://i11study.com/IWC-Study/PDF/2014/I-11CCR_Report_2014-12_sm.pdf;), making it an Interstate 11 extension is a pipe dream worthy of Fictional Highways.

Nah, as far as NDOT is concerned, I-515 is an ex-Interstate. It's pining for the fjords. Internal data has removed most references.

[Bobby5280]

As for those suggestions about sending Interstate 11 to Oregon or Washington state, while there was a study published a decade ago (http://i11study.com/IWC-Study/PDF/2014/I-11CCR_Report_2014-12_sm.pdf;), making it an Interstate 11 extension is a pipe dream worthy of Fictional Highways.

IMHO, I don't see any value extending I-11 up through Oregon to Washington, or another suggestion of routing up to Boise via Winnemucca. North of the Reno area I think it would be more beneficial to connect I-11 into the I-5 corridor somehow. Seattle, Portland and Vancouver BC are along that corridor. I've mentioned Klamath Falls and Medford as a possible merge point before.

It would be difficult (and costly) enough just building an Interstate quality link between Las Vegas and the Reno-Carson City area. They can tackle the "easy" stuff, such as extending the Interstate from the NV-156 intersection up to Indian Springs and the outskirts of Beatty. Even getting as far as Tonopah isn't all that bad. The tough thing is figuring out where to spur I-11 off of I-80 and where/how to connect it into the US-95 corridor.

Some can call it an extravagance, but I think it would be good if portions of US-95 along the way can be at least double-barreled. The risk of head-on collisions is far lower on divided highways.

Las Vegas to Phoenix is probably going to be the more important focus for I-11 rather than Las Vegas to Reno.

[Plutonic Panda]

I'd prefer I-21 is focused from Vegas to Phoenix. At this point ADOT seems to have studied pushing I-11 south to Mexico more than they have north from phoenix to the NV state line.

[DenverBrian]

Wikipedia may have jumped the gun in updating their Interstate 11 and 515 pages, but it's only a matter of time before the updates become current. As for those suggestions about sending Interstate 11 to Oregon or Washington state, while there was a study published a decade ago (http://i11study.com/IWC-Study/PDF/2014/I-11CCR_Report_2014-12_sm.pdf;), making it an Interstate 11 extension is a pipe dream worthy of Fictional Highways.

Nah, as far as NDOT is concerned, I-515 is an ex-Interstate. It's pining for the fjords. Internal data has removed most references.

Now if they can just handle their EXTERNAL references, as in, the references known and seen by the public. I predict there will be zombie I-515 signage on this route for at least another year.

[cl94]

Wikipedia may have jumped the gun in updating their Interstate 11 and 515 pages, but it's only a matter of time before the updates become current. As for those suggestions about sending Interstate 11 to Oregon or Washington state, while there was a study published a decade ago (http://i11study.com/IWC-Study/PDF/2014/I-11CCR_Report_2014-12_sm.pdf;), making it an Interstate 11 extension is a pipe dream worthy of Fictional Highways.

Nah, as far as NDOT is concerned, I-515 is an ex-Interstate. It's pining for the fjords. Internal data has removed most references.

Now if they can just handle their EXTERNAL references, as in, the references known and seen by the public. I predict there will be zombie I-515 signage on this route for at least another year.

Please, there are cases of routes in this state being signed 20+ years after they were truncated or decommissioned. NDOT has made little effort to remove NV 121 shields, and that was downgraded to tertiary in 2021. NV 430, NV 653, and NV 667 have shields on segments that were downloaded 20+ years ago. There are multiple US 395 shields remaining on a segment that was downgraded to SR (now US 395A) in the 80s/90s (depending on where), at least one having been replaced in kind within the past 4 months. Similarly, there are multiple signs in Reno pointing to I-580 that only reference US 395. I would not be shocked if 515 shields survive another 10-20+ years, especially on roads NDOT doesn't maintain, because the larger cities generally don't care.

(personal opinion emphasized)

[Max Rockatansky]

Since when has zombie signage been bad?  A good Easter Egg hunt never hurt anyone. 

[vdeane]

Since when has zombie signage been bad?  A good Easter Egg hunt never hurt anyone. 

Great for roadgeeks, more of an issue for people unfamiliar with an area trying to navigate (especially in the case of a route changing number rather than being removed completely).

[Max Rockatansky]

Since when has zombie signage been bad?  A good Easter Egg hunt never hurt anyone. 

Great for roadgeeks, more of an issue for people unfamiliar with an area trying to navigate (especially in the case of a route changing number rather than being removed completely).

Normal people pay attention to signage?

[cl94]

Even more, I'd bet that people keep calling it "515" for another decade or two. See how old-timers in Northern Nevada still refer to "highway 40".

[Sub-Urbanite]

Has anyone ever called it 515?

Even more, I'd bet that people keep calling it "515" for another decade or two. See how old-timers in Northern Nevada still refer to "highway 40".

[US 395]

Has anyone ever called it 515?

Even more, I'd bet that people keep calling it "515" for another decade or two. See how old-timers in Northern Nevada still refer to "highway 40".

My wife and my best friends are from Vegas and as far as they (and other Vegas folk) are concerned, it's the 95. 515/11 and 93 doesn't exist to them.

[US 395]

There have been some very general and aspirational proposals to send I-11 to the Willamette Valley, Spokane, or Boise, using either US 95 or US 395 north of I-80. None of these warrant it and all would have some serious terrain issues to deal with. 95 north of Winnemucca warrants some improvements in the form of passing lanes, but a full freeway is overkill. These are 65-70 MPH surface roads and you'd get little time reduction with freeway limits.

Yes. Most of the benefit will come from upgrading from two lanes to four-lane divided. Full limited access will add almost nothing. I drive 395 from Reno down to SoCal two or three times a year and outside the cities and towns, the road flies. Any section of that that is already four-lane divided will not benefit from making it limited access.

I've driven 395 and 14 between Reno and Los Angeles and yes, it's a breeze. The vast majority of the route is four lanes divided and undivided. I feel much better driving that road at night compared to 95. It's a shame that 95 couldn't get a similar treatment. Would definitely help cut down on the fatal accidents that happen on that road.

[ClassicHasClass]

I've driven 395 and 14 between Reno and Los Angeles and yes, it's a breeze.

It will get even better when the 4-laning is done around Olancha, though the two-lane sections in northern Mono county will probably not ever change (no current justification and lots of environmental issues).

[lstone19]

I've driven 395 and 14 between Reno and Los Angeles and yes, it's a breeze.

It will get even better when the 4-laning is done around Olancha, though the two-lane sections in northern Mono county will probably not ever change (no current justification and lots of environmental issues).

Not really needed. There are enough passing lanes or straight sections where you can pass that it's fairly easy to get around slow traffic. And even when you're stuck behind someone for a few minutes, it sure beats the continuous driving frustration on I-5.

[Max Rockatansky]

A lot of the trucks dip into Nevada anyways on CA 167.

[roadfro]

Now if they can just handle their EXTERNAL references, as in, the references known and seen by the public. I predict there will be zombie I-515 signage on this route for at least another year.

Please, there are cases of routes in this state being signed 20+ years after they were truncated or decommissioned. NDOT has made little effort to remove NV 121 shields, and that was downgraded to tertiary in 2021. NV 430, NV 653, and NV 667 have shields on segments that were downloaded 20+ years ago. There are multiple US 395 shields remaining on a segment that was downgraded to SR (now US 395A) in the 80s/90s (depending on where), at least one having been replaced in kind within the past 4 months. Similarly, there are multiple signs in Reno pointing to I-580 that only reference US 395. I would not be shocked if 515 shields survive another 10-20+ years, especially on roads NDOT doesn't maintain, because the larger cities generally don't care.

(personal opinion emphasized)

You don't even really need to predict the zombie 515 shields—the signing plans for this major sign replacement contract have multiple instances of existing 515 shields that are not being replaced on purpose. I thought that it might just be sign replacement work that would be carried out by other projects, but it seems like an awful lot of outdated shields to leave in the field. I gotta think some of those are going to be forgotten about and will be around for a while.

Even more, I'd bet that people keep calling it "515" for another decade or two. See how old-timers in Northern Nevada still refer to "highway 40".

Has anyone ever called it 515?

My wife and my best friends are from Vegas and as far as they (and other Vegas folk) are concerned, it's the 95. 515/11 and 93 doesn't exist to them.

I grew up in Vegas as well, and still refer to it at 95 in any and all non-roadgeeking contexts. I'd say it took about 10 years for references to I-515 to catch on locally, but even still I think it was used more by non-natives and in advertising & traffic reports—most locals I know call it "the 95".

I've always maintained that US 95 was more commonly referenced because it's the one route number that carries through on that freeway at the Spaghetti Bowl. With I-11 being cosigned with US 95 through the Spaghetti Bowl up to the edge of town, I'm willing to bet that references to I-11 will catch on much more quickly (but also that reference to US 95 will never really go away).

[Scott5114]

Just the other day, I did see a freeway entrance sign package for Summerlin Parkway. Saw it on Buffalo. I'm like, about time.
I don't see exit numbers ever going up though.

But there's only freeway entrance packages on Buffalo. No junctions, no advance signage. If you were expecting it to be signed as 613 you'd be out of luck until you're right on top of the ramps.

Rampart actually has a couple of BGSes now that acknowledge the 613 designation in the way you'd expect.

The Interstate 11 and Interstate 515 pages on Wikipedia have been updated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_11; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_515. 515 is now considered decommissioned and Interstate 11 has been extended to NV 157. Now all they have to do is renumber the exits north of Interstate 215 to correspond with Interstate 11's mileage.

They're only behind AARoads Wiki by about six months then. (The AARW I-11 article is quite a bit more logically organized as well.)

[US 395]

I've driven 395 and 14 between Reno and Los Angeles and yes, it's a breeze.

It will get even better when the 4-laning is done around Olancha, though the two-lane sections in northern Mono county will probably not ever change (no current justification and lots of environmental issues).

That will definitely be a help. Should've been four-laned a long time ago.

I don't see that part of 395 from outside Gardnerville to Bridgeport being four-laned either. But it's not that big of a deal on that stretch. And it's pretty. Lol