The Nevada Department of Transportation’s Northbound 395 Improvement Project, recently completed five months ahead of schedule on Reno’s busiest freeway, has been named one of the nation’s top 10 road construction projects and is now in the running to be named the nation’s top project in the America’s Transportation Award competition.
The project now is in the running to be named the nation’s best road construction project in the Grand Prize and People’s Choice Award categories in the contest sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Drivers can vote for the project to win the People’s Choice Award through Oct. 19 by logging onto www.americastransportationaward.org. The winners of both the Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Award will be announced on Nov, 18 and will be awarded $10,000 each to be donated to a charity or scholarship.
The approximately $31 million Northbound 395 Improvement Project, constructed by Granite Construction in conjunction with Diversified Consulting Services, widened northbound U.S. 395 in many areas between Moana Lane and Interstate 80. The I-80 westbound exit ramp was relocated, separating the westbound and eastbound exit ramps for safer and less concentrated merging. Bridges, ramps, landscaping, signage and other transportation systems also were improved to relieve congestion and enhance traffic flow.
Working with stakeholders as well as structured construction partnering, including weekly meetings and project walk-throughs to quickly identify project opportunities, and a full public outreach plan that helped make the public aware of any travel-related impacts, were used to substantially complete the project five months ahead of schedule. The project also utilized innovative construction techniques that were recognized by the award, such as using recycled asphalt and concrete to save approximately $188,000 and construction scheduling changes allowing crews to work on multiple construction phases concurrently. With as many as 140,000 vehicles traveling the main north-south Reno corridor daily, the project now helps to drastically reduce commute time to travel the three miles of U.S. 395 northbound between Moana Lane and I-80.
PK Electrical, Inc. was the electrical engineer on this project.