NDOT USA Parkway extension project awarded

The Fernley Reporter

The Nevada Department of Transportation’s USA Parkway extension project, which completed ahead of schedule last year, has been recognized with an America’s Transportation Award.

The award from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recognizes the project as a best transportation project between $25 and $200 million in the western states for enhancing community and quality of life. The award recognizes the project for enhancing traffic connectivity and mobility, as well as involving community stakeholders in the project. Twenty-seven projects were nominated across the western U.S., with only nine projects being named top in specific categories.

Opened to the public on Sept. 8, 2017, the new roadway extends the previous 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 connecting Interstate 80 and U.S. 50. Known as State Route 439, the roadway further links 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 also helps support regional economic development and serves as another route in the event of emergency or weather-related road closures. The parkway is projected to reduce travel times by as much as 38 percent between U.S. 50 and I-80.

The project to extend the parkway began in June 2016. Originally scheduled to complete in December of 2017, construction wrapped up three months ahead of original design schedules.

“State DOTs are committed to making America safer, better and stronger by improving connections between communities both large and small, urban and rural,” said John Schroer, president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation. “The transportation projects in this competition are part of a national multimodal network that is moving millions of people and tons of goods where they need to go every day.”

If the NDOT project is ranked one of the top 12 America’s Transportation Award winners across the nation, it will be in the running for the America’s Transportation Award Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Award later this year. The top two winners also receive $10,000 cash awards, to be donated to a charity or scholarship of the state DOT’s choosing. Online voting begins Aug. 30, with winners of the top two awards announced Sept. 23.

Learn more about the nominees and the competition at www.AmericasTransportationAwards.org