Interstate 580 (Nevada)

Interstate 580 marker

Interstate 580
Route information
Maintained by NDOT
Length: 30.090 mi[1] (48.425 km)
Existed: 1978 – present
History: Number approved in 1978; Constructed in phases 1970–2012; Signed in 2012
Major junctions
South end: US 50 / US 395 in Carson City
 
US 395 Bus. in Carson City
SR 431 in Reno

US 395 Bus. in Reno
North end: I‑80 / US 395 in Reno
Highway system
  • Highways in Nevada
← SR 579SR 582 →

Interstate 580 (I-580) is an Interstate Highway in northwestern Nevada. It runs concurrently with U.S. Highway 395 (US 395) from Interstate 80 in Reno, to the east leg of US 50 in Carson City. Although the freeway has existed in Reno with the I-580 designation since the 1970s, the interstate was signed only as US 395 until the portion between Reno and Carson City was completed in 2012. I-580 is not complete; the highway is expected to be signed between the east and west legs of US 50 in Carson City, however the final phase of freeway construction between Fairview Drive and US 50 west has been postponed several times with an uncertain completion date.

Route description

I-580 & US 395 route shields near Carson City

I-580 is still under development. The freeway exists today from I-80 near downtown Reno south to Fairview Drive in Carson City. Eventually, the highway will continue in a southerly direction from Fairview Drive to terminate at the junction of US 395 and US 50 just south of Carson City. Fairview Drive is being temporarily used as a connector to Carson Street and US 395.

The constructed portion begins at Fairview Drive along the eastern edge of Eagle Valley, where most of the population of Carson City lives. The highway loosely follows the former alignments of Edmonds Drive and Lompa Lane along the eastern half of the city, which were relocated or truncated to make room for the freeway.

After rejoining the original alignment of US 395 near the Carson–Tahoe Hospital the highway crests Lakeview Hill to enter the Washoe Valley. The portion of I-580 through Washoe Valley is prone to high crosswinds, and the freeway is frequently closed to high-profile vehicles. During prohibited times, trucks are re-routed to U.S. Route 395 Alternate, which is the old routing of US 395. The high wind area ends near the Bowers Mansion interchange near the northern end of the Washoe Valley.

Unlike the old US 395 which ran along the valley floor of Pleasant Valley, I-580 is routed in the mountains overlooking the valley. While traversing Pleasant Valley, the highway crosses the Galena Creek Bridge, the largest cathedral arch bridge in the world. Upon the descent from these mountains the highway cuts through the center of one of the largest geothermal power plants in the United States, Ormat Industries' Nevada Power station, just before entering Reno.

View north at the north end of I-580

At the extreme southern edge of Reno the highway has a junction with the Mount Rose Highway (SR 431) and Geiger Grade (SR 341), which connect the freeway with North Lake Tahoe and Virginia City, respectively. Upon entering Reno, the freeway proceeds in a generally northern direction, crossing Virginia Street, the old routing of US 395, several times. Along the way the freeway passes to the side of the The Summit Sierra Mall, Meadowood Mall and Reno–Tahoe International Airport. The I-580 designation ends at the Reno Spaghetti Bowl where the highway crosses I-80; however, the freeway continues on only as US 395, heading towards the north valley neighborhoods of Sun Valley, Lemon Valley and Stead before eventually crossing the California state line.

Named sections

The freeway has two memorial designations, within Reno city limits the freeway is designated the Martin Luther King Jr. freeway. Within Carson City limits the freeway is designated the Carson City Deputy Sheriff Carl Howell Memorial Freeway in honor of a sheriff officer who was fatally shot while attempting to extricate a victim of domestic violence from their house.[2][3]

History

Old US 395 running through Pleasant Valley, as seen from Geiger Grade (SR 341), with the I-580 extension under construction in the mountains above

Development of the I-580 / US 395 freeway has been in planning since 1956, but significant construction did not occur until over a decade later. Below is a timeline of the opening dates of the current freeway segments that are or will be part of I-580.[4]

The I-580 designation was first approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on October 27, 1978—at the time, this route extended from I-80 to US 395 (South Virginia Street, at current exit 63).[5] AASHTO approved the remainder of planned I-580, to the future southern terminus at US 395 south of Carson City, at its December 7, 1984 meeting.[6] Despite the route number being approved and being shown on some maps in the 1980s, I-580 was not signed along the Interstate until the freeway gap between Mount Rose Highway and Bowers Mansion Road was completed in 2012.

The segment completed in 2012 connected Carson City to the Interstate Highway system, leaving 4 state capitals not served by the Interstate Highway System: Dover, Delaware, Juneau, Alaska, Pierre, South Dakota, and Jefferson City, Missouri.

Future

The remaining portion of I-580 that is not complete is what the Nevada Department of Transportation has internally designated as phase 2B of the Carson City Freeway. Phase 2B will complete the remaining freeway to US 50 west, including the interchange with US 395 and South Carson Street. Construction of Phase 2A finished in September 2009;[7] however, construction of Phase 2B has been split into four sub-phases. Phase 2B-2 (Snyder Avenue Bridge, Grading and Drainage Improvements) was completed in summer 2014. Phase 2B-3 (completion of the existing freeway to an interim grade crossing at South Carson Street) began in 2015 with completion expected in 2017 or 2018. Phase 2B-4 (which would build the South Carson Street interchange and complete the freeway) does not have an estimated date of completion.[8]

Exit list

For other exits on US 395, see U.S. Route 395 in Nevada.

CountyLocationmikmExit[lower-alpha 1]DestinationsNotes
City of Carson City— US 50 west / US 395 south – Minden, South Lake TahoeContinuation beyond US 50 east
39 US 50 east (E. William Street) – Dayton, FallonSouth end of I-580
41College ParkwayServes Carson Airport and Western Nevada College
42Arrowhead DriveNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
43
US 395 Bus. south (N. Carson Street)		Southbound exit and northbound entrance
Washoe
0.00–42.10		 44Eastlake Boulevard (to US 395 Alt)Former SR 428; serves Washoe Lake State Park
 46Bellevue Road
New Washoe City50Old US 395 (US 395 Alt, Bowers Mansion Road, Carson–Reno Highway) – Washoe CityServes Bowers Mansion
 Galena Creek Bridge
Reno56 SR 431 (Mount Rose Highway) – North Lake TahoeAlso serves SR 341 (Geiger Grade) – Virginia City
57BS. Virginia Street south (US 395 Alt. south) – Virginia City, Washoe CitySouthbound exit and northbound entrance
57AS. Virginia Street north (US 395 Bus. north)Southbound exit and northbound entrance
59Damonte Ranch Parkway
60South Meadows Parkway (SR 426)
61S. Virginia Street (US 395 Bus.)
62Neil Road, Meadowood Mall Way
63S. Virginia Street (US 395 Bus.), Kietzke LaneSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
64Moana LaneServes Reno-Sparks Convention Center
65 Plumb Lane (SR 653), Villanova Drive – Reno-Tahoe International AirportSigned as exits 65A (Villanova Drive, Plumb Lane) and 65B (airport) southbound
66Mill Street
67E. Second Street, Glendale Avenue (SR 648)
68 I‑80 – Elko, SacramentoNorth end of I-580; signed as exits 68A (east) and 68B (west) northbound
— US 395 north – SusanvilleContinuation beyond I-80
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Exits are numbered using cumulative mileage along US 395 from the California–Nevada border near Topaz Lake.

References

  1. ↑ Nevada Department of Transportation (January 2013). "State Maintained Highways of Nevada: Descriptions and Maps". Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  2. ↑ Munson, Jeff (December 8, 2015). "Stretch of Carson City Freeway Officially Named in Honor of Deputy Carl Howell". Carson Now (Carson City, NV). Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  3. ↑ Munson, Jeff (August 16, 2015). "Carson City deputy killed in the line of duty identified". Carson Now. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  4. ↑ Staff. "History & Overview". I-580 Extension Project website. Nevada Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on May 27, 2008. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  5. ↑ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (October 28, 1978). "Route Numbering Committee Agenda Showing Action Taken by the Executive Committee" (PDF) (Report). Louisville, KY: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Retrieved November 7, 2014 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  6. ↑ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (December 7, 1984). "Route Numbering Committee Agenda" (PDF) (Report). New Orleans, LA: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Retrieved November 7, 2014 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  7. ↑ Norton, F.T. (September 24, 2009). "New bypass opens today". Nevada Appeal. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  8. ↑ Staff (August 22, 2015). "Carson City Freeway". Carson City Freeway project Web page. Nevada Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 8, 2015.

External links

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