Expect delays on Highway 395 North today, next week

Motorists can expect a 15- to 20-minute delay on Highway 395 northbound between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today because of paving, a Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman said Wednesday.

Highway 395 North from Arrowhead Drive to the top of Lakeview Hill will be reduced to one lane while Ames Construction lays a final layer of asphalt on the northbound road and ramp, spokesman Scott Magruder said.

Paving started Wednesday and will continue through today. After taking a break over the weekend, it will resume from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday on the northbound lanes. The southbound lanes in the same area will be paved from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 28-30.

"It's temperature sensitive, so that's the reason why we have to do it during the daytime. We have to do it when it's about 60 degrees outside," Magruder said.

"The reason we're not working this weekend is because we're anticipating higher car counts because of Street Vibrations."

The paving project is part of the $70 million freeway construction from Highway 395 at Arrowhead Drive to Highway 50 East. That length of the new freeway will be open to traffic in April.

The next phase, from Highway 50 to Fairview Drive, will cost $40 million and construction will begin in 2006. It's planned to be completed in 2008.

The last section to Highway 50 at Spooner, an $80 million project, should go to bid while the previous phase is in construction. It's planned to be completed in 2010.

Full interchanges will be constructed at Highway 50 East, at Fairview Drive and at the Highway 50 -Spooner junction at the South Carson Street intersection.

Grade separation structures will be constructed at Fifth Street, Koontz Lane, Clearview Drive and Snyder Avenue. The separations will allow traffic to pass over the freeway with no access provided to the freeway.

Due to funding, the southern project will be constructed in two stages. The first will include the completion of the interchange at Highway 50 East, a partial interchange at Fairview Drive, the grade separated crossing at Fifth Street, the Linear Ditch Park multi-use path, storm drainage facilities and roadway improvements.

The second phase will include completion of the Fairview Drive interchange, construction of the interchange at South Carson Street, the grade separated crossings at Koontz Lane, Clearview Drive and Snyder Avenue, the remainder of the freeway drainage system, sound walls and completion of the roadway.

n Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.