NDOT Seeks Public Input on Proposed Expansion Projects: I-80 East of Reno

I-80 Improvements Considered Between Sparks and USA Parkway

Staff Report
11/03/2023 03:54 AM

NDOT Seeks Public Input on Proposed Expansion Projects: I-80 East of Reno — *I-80 East of Sparks. Photo courtesy of Public Involvement Plan.*

The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) will conduct a public information meeting, both in-person and virtually, to gather public input for the preliminary environmental review of the proposed expansion of Interstate 80 to the east of Sparks.

The public will have the opportunity to participate in-person and virtual meetings to learn more and offer insights into the potential improvements to the interstate.
The community can access project details and share their comments by visiting the virtual public meeting at I80EastNV.com from October 23 to November 22, 2023. Information will be available in both English and Spanish.

An open house public meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 7, between 4-7 p.m. at the Lockwood Community and Senior Center at 800 Peri Ranch Road. The meeting will follow an open house format, with a formal presentation beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Comments can be submitted during the public meeting, via the virtual public meeting, through email at [email protected], or by mailing NDOT Project Manager Chris Kuhn at 1263 South Street, Carson City, NV 89712, before 5 p.m. on November 22.

For those needing additional assistance to access the meeting, please contact (702) 232-5288 or email [email protected].

In collaboration with the Federal Highway Administration, NDOT is seeking public input on the proposed expansion and enhancements of I-80 from Vista Boulevard to USA Parkway as part of the project's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) phase. These potential enhancements encompass widening I-80 between Vista Boulevard in Sparks and the State Route 439 (USA Parkway) interchange. The plan involves replacing certain existing interstate bridges, expanding roadway shoulders, and implementing interchange improvements, among other enhancements, all aimed at enhancing traffic mobility and safety for the approximately 48,000 vehicles that traverse the interstate daily. The proposed widening will require extensive geotechnical engineering due to the steep slopes and rock formations adjacent to the interstate.

Traffic has increased 61 percent over the past ten years. In a recent five-year period, an average of 155 crashes occurred every year on this section of interstate. Interstate widening and improvements are projected to cut total crash rates by approximately 25 percent, and fatal and injury crashes by approximately 30 percent, over a 25-year period.

Over recent years, NDOT has lengthened and improved I-80 USA Parkway and Lockwood ramps for safer, designated access to and from the interstate in the area.