Ribbon cutting to celebrate USA Parkway project; Extension to open in early September

CARSON CITY, Nev. – Officials will celebrate the upcoming opening of the Nevada Department of Transportation’s USA Parkway extension with an Aug. 28 ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Beginning at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 28, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and local government officials will make remarks before Tesla vehicles drive through a banner ceremonially signifying ribbon-cutting of the road extension project.

The public is invited to attend, but parking is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. The event will take place on the USA Parkway near the Storey-Lyon county line with event access available by traveling the USA Parkway from Interstate 80 and following event signage. No event access will be available via U.S. 50.

“The opening of USA Parkway will transform the region’s transportation capabilities. Now the millions of goods made in or distributed from Nevada will be able to move more swiftly and with greater ease,” said Sandoval. “We prioritized this project to reduce truck and traffic congestion in Reno and, most importantly, to help more Nevadans safely access good-paying, stable jobs. This project marks an important milestone in the diversification of our economy and I look forward to celebrating its opening with the individuals who worked tirelessly to ensure its completion three months early and on budget.”

See a video presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y_z93_jNvU

The $75.9 million project by design-build contractor Ames Construction to extend the parkway began in June 2016. Since that time, more than 12 miles of new four-lane state highway has been constructed, including major earthwork to create a pathway for the future road:

— Excavation – two million cubic yards of earth excavated for the new roadway
— Aggregate Roadway Base – 500,000 tons of aggregate used to provide the base of the roadway
— Asphalt – 566,000 square yards of hot mix asphalt paving installed, enough to cover 88 professional football fields
— Storm Drains – 12,000 linear feet of 18 to 60-inch diameter storm drain installed
— Fencing– 165,000 linear feet, or approximately 31 miles, of wildlife fencing installed
— Fiber Optic Conduit – 482, 534 linear feet, or approximately 91 miles, of fiber optic conduit installed

When open to traffic in early September, the NDOT project will extend the existing six-mile-long USA Parkway by more than 12 miles to reach U.S. 50 at Silver Springs, creating an approximately 18-mile-long, four-lane state roadway between Interstate 80 and U.S. 50. Known as State Route 439, the new roadway will further link the greater Reno/Sparks area with the U.S. 50 corridor, enhancing regional mobility and creating an additional route for commuter, freight and other traffic.

The road will also help support regional economic development and serve as another route in the event of emergency or weather-related road closures.

The road is projected to reduce travel times by as much as 38 percent for those traveling between U.S. 50 and I-80. Additional information is available at www.usaparkway.com or by dialing (775) 888-7000.