Safety improvements built into Highway 50 repaving plans between Carson City and Dayton
A $6-plus million repaving project along a stretch of Highway 50 east of Carson City is planned for late spring through summer with some safety improvements built into the plans, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation.
Merge lane improvements, slope flattening, the installation of a t-intersection and turn lanes for easier access at Flint Drive and State Route 341 are scheduled as part of the safety upgrades on Highway 50 between Deer Run Road and east of SR341, said NDOT spokeswoman Meg Ragonese.
Also in the plans are an acceleration lane and extension of an acceleration lane along two stretches near State Route 341 past Mound House and closer to the border of Lyon and Carson City lines.
Roadwork will begin sometime in May and much of it will be carried out at night. While the project is primarily to repave, NDOT included the safety upgrades to address growing concerns that the road has become dangerous due to an increase in traffic.
Recently the stretch of highway has had several motor vehicle accidents, some of which involved fatalities. Safety improvements were built into the repaving plan to address some of the issues with future plans — possibly a jersey barrier to separate lanes of traffic under consideration.
An initiative to crackdown on speeding put forth by the Carson City and Lyon County sheriff's offices and the Nevada Highway Patrol began in July. The intent was to change the driving habits of commuters who drive the stretch of the road. So far the campaign has done what the agencies had set out to do, said Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong.
"The intent was to reduce the number of accidents on Highway 50 after we had a number of fatalities on the road," said Furlong. "It's been an effort where we've all pitched in to stop distracted drivers and speeding and it is working. We haven't had any fatalities since this began."
Carson City Sheriff's Office Sgt. Scott McDaniel, a patrol motor officer who supervises traffic related issues, said the improvements will be a welcome change to help reduce the number of crashes on Highway 50. Also important is the continued effort by motorists to change their driving habits, he said.
"Motorists should watch out for one another, pay attention to their driving and not on distractive devices like cell phones. They should be prepared for the unexpected," said McDaniel.
Road work will be done mainly at night and will affect right and left-hand lanes of traffic. There will always be one lane of traffic open in both directions, said NDOT's Ragonese. Granite Construction is the contractor for the project.
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