According to the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), a new section of Interstate-11 (I-11) to bypass Boulder City, Nevada, USA opened May 23, with the remaining 12.5-mile section to be completed this summer. When completed, it will be a 15-mile freeway around the southern perimeter of Boulder City from I-515 to U.S. 93. The interstate will consist of concrete pavement. NDOT said it chose concrete over asphalt because it lasts longer and will result in maintenance savings. The highway is part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and CANAMEX trade corridors and gets about 34,000 vehicles a day, with heavy truck traffic. The remaining 12.5 miles of the connecting project, which also includes a 600-foot-long, two-lane cast-in-place flyover bridge between Interstate-11 South and U.S. 93 East, is the responsibility of the Regional Transportation Commission. Eventually, the interstate will help provide a link by connecting with Interstate-15 (I-15) which runs through the U.S., connecting Mexico, U.S., and Canada.
The NDOT said the $83-million sections currently being built will include a full diamond interchange with a loop ramp, and a 1,200-ft W x 28-ft H cast-in-place concrete retaining wall with multi-colored graphics and extruded Cor-Ten steel figures and objects that illustrate scenes from the construction of Hoover Dam. The multi-colored graphic section is between Foot Hill Drive in Henderson and U.S. 95 in Boulder City. “It reflects the region’s social, cultural and economic history, acting as an iconic graphic gateway to Boulder City. The textured retaining wall is coated with a special anti-graffiti film that serves as a deterrent for taggers,” NDOT said.
Work began on the I-11 project in 2015 and opened May 23, 2018. The Las Vegas Sun reported that the new 2.5-mile section of has already caused some confusion for drivers relying on GPS systems: I-11 is not recognized by most GPS programs. To help remedy the problem, the NDOT plans to replace the “U.S. 95/Interstate 515” signs with “Interstate 11″ shield signs, by the end of 2018. But one day, it will be recognized by millions as it provides a north-south link across the United States!
The NDOT says the 15-mile interstate will alleviate congestion between Arizona and Nevada, as well as improve safety and increase travel and commerce between the two states. Eventually, the interstate will help provide a link by connecting with I-15 which runs between Mexico and Canada through 5 states: Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Montana. It will also eventually connect the Nevada cities of Phoenix to Las Vegas, the only two cities in the country, each with over 1 million people, that aren’t linked by an interstate, according to NDOT.
Other features of the project include:
- A steel prefabricated pedestrian bridge connecting local trails
- Replanting 20,000 cacti
- 5 miles of fencing to protect tortoises
For Equipment World’s Better Roads Online News article titled, “Part of Nevada’s new I-11 to open; project to include diamond interchange, wall with Hoover Dam scenes”, please go to: https://www.equipmentworld.com/part-of-nevadas-new-i-11-to-open-project-to-include-diamond-interchange-wall-with-hoover-dam-scenes/?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=05-22-2018&utm_campaign=Equipment%20World&ust_id=7d2bc74cefb0415f270b9a30b57b461d
For Equipment World’s Better Roads Online News article titled “Nevada DOT hopes I-11 signs will stop GPS confusion”, please go to: https://www.equipmentworld.com/nevada-dot-hopes-i-11-signs-will-stop-gps-confusion/
Home Page Photo: Paving and part of 2.5-mile
multi-colored graphic section … “It reflects the region’s social,
cultural and economic history, acting as an iconic
graphic gateway to Boulder City,” NDOT said.