Nevada  - Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Strategic Deployment Plan for the I-80/US-395 Corridor Study Project

 

The I-80/US 395 ITS Study began in June 2000. The corridor is a diverse region which consists of 411 miles of Interstate 80 and 80 miles of US 395 North from Mount Rose Highway (SR 431) to the Nevada/California state line. For the most part, the area along the I-80 corridor is rural, with the major exception being the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area.

 

Nevada is an especially mountainous state, however many travelers associate the state with more of a flat or desert-like region. The I-80/US 395 corridor contains several mountain passes that sometimes surprise travelers not prepared for the nature of the landscape. During winter months, Nevada experiences snowfall and ice on the roadway that is often unexpected by travelers. Inclement weather such as high winds and thunderstorms also occur in this region. As a result, getting the word out to motorists about the conditions along the corridor and providing information about the location and distance to the next area of lodging, restaurants and services is important.

While inclement weather is the primary issue facing drivers ascending the summits, the heavy truck traffic (up to 30% of interstate traffic) results in a speed differential with other traffic. This differential is noticed both when the trucks are climbing uphill, where their speed is significantly reduced compared to personal vehicles, as well as when their speed is increased due to the descent.

The rural nature of the corridor, combined with the metropolitan exception of Reno/Sparks, yields a wide variety of transportation-related needs. This project has been a successful exercise in the planning and deployment of ITS in a mostly-rural setting. The project resulted in the development of a corridor architecture and recommendation of 15 proposed projects which address the needs of the residents, visitors, and commercial vehicle truck operators of traveling along the corridor. Project recommendations range from the deployment of a Corridor Mountain Pass Warning and Information System to corridor En-Route Traveler Information to a Virtual Traffic Management Center (TMC).

For more information on Nevada I-80/US-395, please contact:

(971) 222-3261