Whether it be for Christmas or other shopping, doctors appointments, or perhaps school sports trips, many from Humboldt, Lander, and Pershing Counties travel to Reno, NV on Interstate 80 (I-80) on a regular basis.
The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is asking for comments from the public in their consideration of expanding the I-80 corridor from Vista Boulevard to USA Parkway. The comment period closes on Nov. 22 and Humboldt Economic Development Officer and Co-Director of the Nevada 95-80 Regional Development Authority Michelle Hammond-Allen explained that it is vital that the rural counties be involved in this process, even if the expansion is not right out the backdoor.
“I-80 is our main transportation corridor… Growing up in a rural area we’re always traveling back and forth. I think what happens in these urban areas is they forget that we travel those roads too and oftentimes more than they do…A lot of the discussions that I have heard, things written up that you read about the project, they really center on Washoe County, White Pine, and Storey County,” explained Hammond-Allen.
Traveling the infamous canyon between Fernley and Reno is always a concern for those traveling from rural areas, as the traffic is very noticeably congested, especially with the industrial boom that has taken place in the past 10 years and the weather which can intensify the congestion.
NDOT’s presentation regarding the expansion proposal states that the travel demand has gone up upwards of 60 percent, creating a rise in crash rates with multiple fatalities in the past five years. The minimal shoulder and pullout lanes also make it very hard for first responders to administer emergency services to crash victims.
“NDOT is looking for a long-term solution to address the aging infrastructure, improve safety and travel time while addressing future travel demand in this corridor. The purpose of the project is to provide additional capacity to reduce travel time delay and accommodate traffic associated with past and planned growth in the region. The project’s purpose will also be to provide enhanced safety such as wider shoulders, truck parking and wrong-way driver detection,” the presentation explains.
I-80 is often the route that trucks supplying materials to grocery stores, restaurants, other local businesses, hospitals, local contractors, and many, many other goods take every day all day, not to mention those that travel it for work or other activities. Without it, rural Nevada would be left without many of its necessities that fund the various tourist-driven economies and support individuals and families 365 days a year.
“It’s a lifeline for our community,” said Hammond-Allen.
Some of the preliminary concept developments include three twelve-foot lanes in each direction with a full twelve-foot shoulder on the right side, allowing vehicles, including large trucks to ability to fully pull of the road, as well as emergency response, adding four to ten foot wide shoulders on the inside of lanes to enhance visibility, and a cantilever design (a horizontal extension with one unsupported size) was actually dismissed because of construction and maintenance costs.
“As part of the overall screening process, it was decided that utilizing ten-foot inside shoulders, which meet current design criteria, should be utilized since enhanced safety benefits would outweigh additional material removal costs,” says the presentation.
NDOT is currently in the phase one portion of the project, set to take place through March of 2024, and requires them to engage in National Environmental Policy Act studies and refine the design concepts, establish an Area of Potential Effect, conduct several environmental studies through consult with tribal and resource agencies, develop cost estimates, and do more outreach.
After these steps are completed, phase two, set to take place from March of 2024 through Nov. of 2024, will entail the preparation of drafts of environmental documents that identify the preferred design and 15 percent of the design plan, environmental impacts, and potential mitigations, right-of-way impacts, possible phases for the project, and conduct a public hearing.
Phase three, running from Dec. of 2024 through Feb. 2025, will involve getting environmental approvals by submitting and securing different resource agency permits, getting approval form the Federal Highway Administration, and providing the preliminary design.
Although the project would not be completed any time before 2025, it is important that NDOT has the input of those that utilize the I-80 corridor and those communities that depend on it for a vast range of resources now.
“Our voices need to be heard. We need to make sure that our voices are heard and that we’re at the table in these discussions, and that we’re not forgotten in the mix of making decisions. I think that’s for all of our rural communities. It’s not just here in Humboldt County, here in Winnemucca. I think it’s all of our rural communities,” said Hammond-Allen.
For more information about the project and how to comment, visit https://i80eastnv.com/, contact Chris Kuhn PE, Project Manager NDOT, email info@i80eastnv.com or call 775-888-7728. v