RENO, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) -- The southbound lanes of the new I-580 freeway between Reno and Washoe Valley will open to traffic by 6 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 24, with the northbound lanes opening for the morning commute on Monday, Aug. 27, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation.
The 8.4-mile freeway runs between the Mt. Rose Highway south of Reno to Washoe Valley north of Carson City. The $393 million contract, awarded to Fisher Industries, began in January 2007 and involved constructing a six-lane, 65-mile-per-hour freeway along with nine bridges, including the 1,700-foot long Galena Creek Bridge in Pleasant Valley.
Once the I-580 freeway northbound lanes open to traffic on Monday, motorists heading north from Carson City who want to go to either Washoe City or Pleasant Valley will have to exit U.S. 395 at the Bellevue off-ramp and then take the Bowers Mansion Road to Parker Ranch Road to access the existing U.S. 395 ALT (the old alignment). This will only be a temporary detour until the Bowers Mansion interchange is completed in October.
The new freeway is officially signed “I-580/U.S. 395” from the I-80/Spaghetti Bowl all the way through Washoe Valley to Fairview Lane in Carson City.
The old highway will be signed “U.S. 395 ALT” from the Mt. Rose Highway and will include S.R. 429/Bowers Mansion Road to Lakeview Hill in Carson City.
