NDOT sets meetings to evaluate Interstate 11 corridors

The Nevada Department of Transportation will host public information meetings in July and August to provide updates on corridor selection for the future Interstate 11 connecting the Las Vegas valley and northwestern Nevada.

The first meeting will take place from 2-5 p.m. July 24 in the 3rd floor Conference Room of the NDOT Headquarters Building, 1263 South Stewart St., Carson City.

A formal presentation at 2:30 p.m.

The July 24 meeting also broadcast live on NDOT’s Facebook page and video-conferenced and available for public attendance at the following locations:

July 25: 4-7 p.m.: Idlewild Park, California Building, 75 Cowan Dr., Reno

July 26: 11-2 p.m.: Fernley High School, 1300 U.S. 95A, Fernley Formal presentation at noon.

July 26: 4-7 p.m.: Fallon Convention Center, 100 Campus Way, Fallon

Aug. 7: 4-7 p.m.: Hawthorne Convention Center, 932 E St., Hawthorne

Aug. 8: 4-7 p.m.: Tonopah Convention Center, 301 Brougher Ave., Tonopah

Aug. 9: 4-7 p.m.: Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino, 4949 North Rancho Dr., Las Vegas

The meetings will be held in an open house format, with a formal presentation beginning at 5:30 p.m., excluding the July 24 and 26 presentations to be held at the times noted.

In 1991, a new road corridor connecting international trade through the American West was federally designated. Developed into I-11, a section of the new interstate is nearing completion in Boulder City. The future I-11 will generally follow U.S. 95 between northwestern Las Vegas and I-80 in western Nevada.

NDOT hosted a series of public meetings in March to gather community input to identify more specific corridor alternatives within the general U.S. 95 vicinity. Following the March public and stakeholder meetings, each corridor alternative was evaluated and ranked based on established evaluation, screening and scoring criteria. The rankings for each corridor alternative will be presented at the upcoming meetings, and NDOT will make recommendations on those corridor alternatives which will be further advanced in the future. The evaluations help potentially narrow the feasible range of corridor alternatives for future planning and environmental review; helping streamline environmental review and development of this interstate facility over future decades. The efforts could also help designate and preserve public lands needed for the future interstate.

This study will provide the foundation for future environmental studies. Additional public outreach and thorough review of potential benefits, physical challenges, environmental constraints and more will be conducted prior to design of any specific interstate alternative. Construction of the approximately 450-mile long interstate could be phased over future decades as environmental studies are complete and funding prioritized. I-11 is envisioned as a limited access, four-lane divided interstate designed to safely accommodate future traffic needs.

“The future I-11 will not only further connect our state, but the entire West. It will bring enhanced mobility, traffic safety, freight and other opportunities for Nevada,” NDOT Director Rudy Malfabon described.

Further information is available at I11study.com. Those unable to attend the meetings can e-mail feedback to kverre@dot.nv.gov.