Interstate 80 will be widened between USA Parkway and Sparks, one of the state’s most heavily traveled corridors and the key route for commuters to the Tesla Gigafactory, Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) announced earlier this month.
More than $275 million in federal funding was awarded to the Nevada Department of Transportation for the project, which will widen the interstate between USA Parkway near the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center and Vista Boulevard in east Sparks. The project will replace bridges, widen shoulders and add a lane in each direction.
As many as 48,000 vehicles travel the interstate daily. Traffic has increased 61 percent during the last 10 years.
An average of 155 crashes occur on the interstate annually on that section of road. The improvements are predicted to reduce accidents by 25 percent over a 25-year period.