Interstate 11 alignment, though Vegas and points north

[ClassicHasClass]

^^^
Erroneous signs thread says hi if someone gets a photo.

[DenverBrian]

^^^
Erroneous signs thread says hi if someone gets a photo.

I snipped a photo off Google Maps (Stephanie, not Gibson, my bad)...but apparently this board makes it near impossible to post a pic.

[heynow415]

^^^
Erroneous signs thread says hi if someone gets a photo.

I snipped a photo off Google Maps (Stephanie, not Gibson, my bad)...but apparently this board makes it near impossible to post a pic.

Posting photos is not simple but for GSV images you can just copy the image URL and paste that in to your message

[DenverBrian]

^^^
Erroneous signs thread says hi if someone gets a photo.

I snipped a photo off Google Maps (Stephanie, not Gibson, my bad)...but apparently this board makes it near impossible to post a pic.

Posting photos is not simple but for GSV images you can just copy the image URL and paste that in to your message

OK, try this: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.0790793,-115.0451611,3a,15y,22.41h,95.21t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sU8pC_GC3-1xp0jPQ7YvDpw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DU8pC_GC3-1xp0jPQ7YvDpw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D323.7174%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

[ClassicHasClass]

That worked, and yikes.

[kernals12]

https://www.dot.nv.gov/Home/Components/News/News/8004/395

NDOT is holding a public meeting on I-11 Northwest of Vegas

[The Ghostbuster]

It looks like the study limits would extend Interstate 11 all the way to present-day Exit 136 (Mercury Hwy.) on US 95. I guess extending 11 any further, say to Interstate 80, is not being planned at this time (and it may never happen).

[cl94]

That portion is cheap. Handful of at-grades need to be closed and you're at I-standards. If the feds will fund it, may as well look at it.

North of Mercury isn't even in the 2050 statewide transportation plan. You'd need to bypass several towns and it honestly isn't necessary. Just not enough traffic to warrant more than passing lanes.

[thsftw]

It looks like the study limits would extend Interstate 11 all the way to present-day Exit 136 (Mercury Hwy.) on US 95. I guess extending 11 any further, say to Interstate 80, is not being planned at this time (and it may never happen).

What an interesting place to end the interstate...there's nothing there and if you went at least to Beatty you'd have the Death Valley connection.

[DenverBrian]

It looks like the study limits would extend Interstate 11 all the way to present-day Exit 136 (Mercury Hwy.) on US 95. I guess extending 11 any further, say to Interstate 80, is not being planned at this time (and it may never happen).

What an interesting place to end the interstate...there's nothing there and if you went at least to Beatty you'd have the Death Valley connection.

This would instantly become the most desolate termination of an interstate highway in the US.

[Alps]

That portion is cheap. Handful of at-grades need to be closed and you're at I-standards. If the feds will fund it, may as well look at it.

North of Mercury isn't even in the 2050 statewide transportation plan. You'd need to bypass several towns and it honestly isn't necessary. Just not enough traffic to warrant more than passing lanes.

I mean, there are at-grade intersections with state highways, so maybe not just "close the at-grades".

[vdeane]

It looks like the study limits would extend Interstate 11 all the way to present-day Exit 136 (Mercury Hwy.) on US 95. I guess extending 11 any further, say to Interstate 80, is not being planned at this time (and it may never happen).

What an interesting place to end the interstate...there's nothing there and if you went at least to Beatty you'd have the Death Valley connection.

Looks like there's some kind of government facility.

[kkt]

It looks like the study limits would extend Interstate 11 all the way to present-day Exit 136 (Mercury Hwy.) on US 95. I guess extending 11 any further, say to Interstate 80, is not being planned at this time (and it may never happen).

What an interesting place to end the interstate...there's nothing there and if you went at least to Beatty you'd have the Death Valley connection.

Looks like there's some kind of government facility.

Nevada Test Site - where nuclear weapons were tested.
Mercury was a small, closed town built for the workers at the test site.

[kernals12]

That would be extremely unusual for a 2 digit interstate to end in the middle of nowhere without intersecting another interstate. I-99 is the only other example I can think of, and of course that doesn't comply with AASHTO numbering rules.

[cl94]

That portion is cheap. Handful of at-grades need to be closed and you're at I-standards. If the feds will fund it, may as well look at it.

North of Mercury isn't even in the 2050 statewide transportation plan. You'd need to bypass several towns and it honestly isn't necessary. Just not enough traffic to warrant more than passing lanes.

I mean, there are at-grade intersections with state highways, so maybe not just "close the at-grades".

Overly simplified. Build a half dozen interchanges and some minimum maintenance frontage roads for the BLM roads and you're good.

Re: the ending, it would end there because that's where the 4-lane road ends. Also precedent for Interstates ending at military installations, which NNSS is.

I will also highlight that this is a feasibility study, not a "we're going to build this." I would not be surprised if the end result is little more than "we do a few spot improvements in the medium term to improve safety." AADT just north of Exit 99 is close to 14k, but it drops below 10k north of SR 156 and below 5k north of Indian Springs.

[kkt]

That would be extremely unusual for a 2 digit interstate to end in the middle of nowhere without intersecting another interstate. I-99 is the only other example I can think of, and of course that doesn't comply with AASHTO numbering rules.

I-80's western end is at US 101 without another two-digit interstate anywhere nearby...

[sprjus4]

NC I-87 currently ends 13 miles east of the I-440 loop around Raleigh, and just transitions back into US-64, since that portion is not up to interstate standards.

A similar situation will exist with NC I-42 when it's designated around Clayton and Goldsboro.

NC I-73 terminates about 10–15 miles north of Greensboro and transitions into 4 lane US-220. Similar situation with I-74 in the southern part of the state and US-74.

It's not unprecedented. They are not meant as permanent terminations, just temporary until the rest of the highway gets built at some point in the... long-term future.

[Taters]

That would be extremely unusual for a 2 digit interstate to end in the middle of nowhere without intersecting another interstate. I-99 is the only other example I can think of, and of course that doesn't comply with AASHTO numbering rules.

Pretty common for partially completed Interstates from what I've seen. I-2 ends kind of out in nowhere at US-83 west of McAllen. I-74 and I-87 have several termini that aren't near any population center. I-86 in New York ends in a small town before having a 1 mile crossover into Pennsylvania and then back. It's certainly possible that some of these will never be connected, but many of these eventually will and just like it was back in the 1960s-1990s, there will be highways with interesting termini and gaps, until they're all finished. I-10 or I-90 wasn't built in a day.

[lstone19]

That would be extremely unusual for a 2 digit interstate to end in the middle of nowhere without intersecting another interstate. I-99 is the only other example I can think of, and of course that doesn't comply with AASHTO numbering rules.

I-80's western end is at US 101 without another two-digit interstate anywhere nearby...

I-80s end at US 101 very near downtown San Francisco is hardly the middle of nowhere as asked above. It also ends at an interchange with another freeway, albeit a non-Interstate freeway.

[kernals12]

That would be extremely unusual for a 2 digit interstate to end in the middle of nowhere without intersecting another interstate. I-99 is the only other example I can think of, and of course that doesn't comply with AASHTO numbering rules.

I-80's western end is at US 101 without another two-digit interstate anywhere nearby...

But it ends in the heart of San Francisco. That's not "the middle of nowhere".

NC I-87 currently ends 13 miles east of the I-440 loop around Raleigh, and just transitions back into US-64, since that portion is not up to interstate standards.

A similar situation will exist with NC I-42 when it's designated around Clayton and Goldsboro.

NC I-73 terminates about 10–15 miles north of Greensboro and transitions into 4 lane US-220. Similar situation with I-74 in the southern part of the state and US-74.

It's not unprecedented. They are not meant as permanent terminations, just temporary until the rest of the highway gets built at some point in the... long-term future.

Again, those are temporary. CL94 is saying that I-11 ending in Mercury will be the permanent situation.

[kernals12]

That would be extremely unusual for a 2 digit interstate to end in the middle of nowhere without intersecting another interstate. I-99 is the only other example I can think of, and of course that doesn't comply with AASHTO numbering rules.

In fact, I'm pretty sure that, under AASHTO rules, an interstate from Las Vegas to Mercury would be a spur route and have to be given a 3 digit designation. I hope they choose 711.

[sprjus4]

Again, those are temporary. CL94 is saying that I-11 ending in Mercury will be the permanent
situation.

The I-11 corridor is slated to eventually be constructed north towards Reno. While it may not happen for 50+ years, that is the long term plan. Mercury would not be the permanent end for I-11 for planning purposes.

[roadfro]

Again, those are temporary. CL94 is saying that I-11 ending in Mercury will be the permanent situation.

cl94 pointed out that this is a feasibility study to upgrade a portion of divided highway to interstate, and given existing traffic volumes that a full upgrade may seem unlikely over targeted spot improvements. I think cl94 (correctly) implied current traffic volumes suggest it unlikely for further upgrades beyond this for the foreseeable future.

[roadfro]

The news release for the public hearing included this little nugget in the last paragraph (emphasis added):

In 2022, highway authorities pinpointed the preferred route for Interstate 11 through the Las Vegas Valley. This route will utilize I-515 and U.S. 95, traversing Clark County between Henderson and Kyle Canyon. The official process of renaming and resigning those freeways is slated to begin in early 2024.

[cl94]

Again, those are temporary. CL94 is saying that I-11 ending in Mercury will be the permanent situation.

cl94 pointed out that this is a feasibility study to upgrade a portion of divided highway to interstate, and given existing traffic volumes that a full upgrade may seem unlikely over targeted spot improvements. I think cl94 (correctly) implied current traffic volumes suggest it unlikely for further upgrades beyond this for the foreseeable future.

This. Mercury wouldn't be a "permanent" end, but simply where the current divided highway ends. This is a relatively easy study given the current conditions. Will I-11 extend further 50-100 years from now? Possibly. But there's a decent chance this ends up like I-73.