A 5-mile stretch of Interstate 15 south of the Nevada state line will be widened this spring in an effort to eliminate a frustrating bottleneck that has caused miles of backups for travelers to California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday.
Caltrans will repave and restripe the right shoulder for use as a third lane during peak traffic periods, which Newsom described as Sundays and Mondays. Currently, that stretch narrows from three lanes to two lanes before increasing back to three.
“This 5-mile stretch of highway is a critical piece of infrastructure for not only our two states but for the whole country. However, the hours of traffic deters tourism and goods movement,” Newsom said.
The governor made the announcement in a joint news conference with Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak along I-15 near the border.
Sisolak said he phoned Newsom about a month ago, asking him to address the congestion.
“The chokehold that we have is just causing too many difficulties,” Sisolak said.
The $12 million project will begin in the spring with completion expected by summer, Newsom said.
LIVE NOW: Governor @GavinNewsom and Nevada @GovSisolak hold a media availability on interstate efforts to address traffic congestion at the California-Nevada border. https://t.co/mdeLvlK3Rg
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) December 5, 2021
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No long-term solutions to the gridlock that can occur in both directions between San Bernardino and the border were announced, but Newsom said some ideas were being discussed. Backups of 25 miles are not unheard of when there are heavy rain and snow, traffic collisions and wildfires. Alternate routes take motorists far off their planned course.
Brightline Holdings has proposed building a 180 mph train route between Rancho Cucamonga and Las Vegas. No construction date has been announced for the four-year project.
Source: Orange County Register
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