Interstate 580 (Nevada)

Interstate 580
Route information
Maintained by NDOT
Length:	30.090 mi[1] (48.425 km)
Existed:	1978 – present
History:	Number approved in 1978; Constructed in phases 1970–2012; Signed in 2012
Major junctions
South end:	US 50 / US 395 in Carson City
	US 395 Bus. in Carson City SR 431 in Reno US 395 Bus. in Reno
North end:	I‑80 / US 395 in Reno
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Highways in Nevada Interstate U.S. State pre-1976 Scenic ← SR 579 SR 582 →

Interstate 580 (I-580) is an Interstate Highway in northwestern Nevada. It runs concurrently with U.S. Highway 395 (US 395) from Interstate 80 in Reno, to the east leg of US 50 in Carson City. Although the freeway has existed in Reno with the I-580 designation since the 1970s, the interstate was signed only as US 395 until the portion between Reno and Carson City was completed in 2012. I-580 is not complete; the highway is expected to be signed between the east and west legs of US 50 in Carson City, however the final phase of freeway construction between Fairview Drive and US 50 west has been postponed several times with an uncertain completion date.

Route description

I-580 & US 395 route shields near Carson City

I-580 is still under development. The freeway exists today from I-80 near downtown Reno south to Fairview Drive in Carson City. Eventually, the highway will continue in a southerly direction from Fairview Drive to terminate at the junction of US 395 and US 50 just south of Carson City. Fairview Drive is being temporarily used as a connector to Carson Street and US 395.

The constructed portion begins at Fairview Drive along the eastern edge of Eagle Valley, where most of the population of Carson City lives. The highway loosely follows the former alignments of Edmonds Drive and Lompa Lane along the eastern half of the city, which were relocated or truncated to make room for the freeway.

After rejoining the original alignment of US 395 near the Carson–Tahoe Hospital the highway crests Lakeview Hill to enter the Washoe Valley. The portion of I-580 through Washoe Valley is prone to high crosswinds, and the freeway is frequently closed to high-profile vehicles. During prohibited times, trucks are re-routed to U.S. Route 395 Alternate, which is the old routing of US 395. The high wind area ends near the Bowers Mansion interchange near the northern end of the Washoe Valley.

Unlike the old US 395 which ran along the valley floor of Pleasant Valley, I-580 is routed in the mountains overlooking the valley. While traversing Pleasant Valley, the highway crosses the Galena Creek Bridge, the largest cathedral arch bridge in the world. Upon the descent from these mountains the highway cuts through the center of one of the largest geothermal power plants in the United States, Ormat Industries' Nevada Power station, just before entering Reno.

View north at the north end of I-580

At the extreme southern edge of Reno the highway has a junction with the Mount Rose Highway (SR 431) and Geiger Grade (SR 341), which connect the freeway with North Lake Tahoe and Virginia City, respectively. Upon entering Reno, the freeway proceeds in a generally northern direction, crossing Virginia Street, the old routing of US 395, several times. Along the way the freeway passes to the side of the The Summit Sierra Mall, Meadowood Mall and Reno–Tahoe International Airport. The I-580 designation ends at the Reno Spaghetti Bowl where the highway crosses I-80; however, the freeway continues on only as US 395, heading towards the north valley neighborhoods of Sun Valley, Lemon Valley and Stead before eventually crossing the California state line.

Named sections

The freeway has two memorial designations, within Reno city limits the freeway is designated the Martin Luther King Jr. freeway. Within Carson City limits the freeway is designated the Carson City Deputy Sheriff Carl Howell Memorial Freeway in honor of a sheriff officer who was fatally shot while attempting to extricate a victim of domestic violence from their house.^[2][3]

History

Old US 395 running through Pleasant Valley, as seen from Geiger Grade (SR 341), with the I-580 extension under construction in the mountains above

Development of the I-580 / US 395 freeway has been in planning since 1957, but significant construction did not occur until over a decade later. Below is a timeline of the opening dates of the current freeway segments that are or will be part of I-580.^[4]

• 1964–1970: Washoe Valley—Washoe County–Carson City line north to Winters Ranch area (junction Carson-Reno Highway / US 395 and Old Highway 395 / SR 429)
• 1973: Reno—Panther Valley (north of Reno) south to Glendale Avenue (only the portion of this segment between I-80 and Glendale Avenue was designated as I-580; the remainder was and remains signed only as US 395)
• 1980: Reno—Glendale Avenue south to S. Virginia Street (at the exit 63 half-interchange)
• 1983: Reno—S. Virginia Street (exit 63) south to S. Virginia Street (at exit 61)
• 1998: Reno—S. Virginia Street (exit 61) south to Mount Rose Highway/SR 431
• 2006: Carson City—Washoe County–Carson City line (N. Carson Street) south to E. William Street (US 50)
• 2009: Carson City—E. William Street (US 50) south to Fairview Drive
• 2012: Steamboat Hills—Winters Ranch area (Bowers Mansion Road / SR 429) north to Mount Rose Highway / SR 431

The I-580 designation was first approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on October 27, 1978—at the time, this route extended from I-80 to US 395 (South Virginia Street, at current exit 63).^[5] AASHTO approved the remainder of planned I-580, to the future southern terminus at US 395 south of Carson City, at its December 7, 1984 meeting.^[6] Despite the route number being approved and being shown on some maps in the 1980s, I-580 was not signed along the Interstate until the freeway gap between Mount Rose Highway and Bowers Mansion Road was completed in 2012.

The segment completed in 2012 connected Carson City to the Interstate Highway system, leaving 4 state capitals not served by the Interstate Highway System: Dover, Delaware, Juneau, Alaska, Pierre, South Dakota, and Jefferson City, Missouri.

Future

The remaining portion of I-580 that is not complete is what the Nevada Department of Transportation has internally designated as phase 2B of the Carson City Freeway. Phase 2B will complete the remaining freeway to US 50 west, including the interchange with US 395 and South Carson Street. Construction of Phase 2A finished in September 2009;^[7] however, construction of Phase 2B has been split into four sub-phases. Phase 2B-2 (Snyder Avenue Bridge, Grading and Drainage Improvements) was completed in summer 2014. Phase 2B-3 (completion of the existing freeway to an interim grade crossing at South Carson Street) began in 2015 with completion expected in 2017 or 2018. Phase 2B-4 (which would build the South Carson Street interchange and complete the freeway) does not have an estimated date of completion.^[8]

Exit list

For other exits on US 395, see U.S. Route 395 in Nevada.

County	Location	mi	km	Exit[lower-alpha 1]	Destinations	Notes
City of Carson City				—	US 50 west / US 395 south – Minden, South Lake Tahoe	Continuation beyond US 50 east
				39	US 50 east (E. William Street) – Dayton, Fallon	South end of I-580
				41	College Parkway	Serves Carson Airport and Western Nevada College
				42	Arrowhead Drive	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
				43	US 395 Bus. south (N. Carson Street)	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
Washoe 0.00–42.10				44	Eastlake Boulevard (to US 395 Alt)	Former SR 428; serves Washoe Lake State Park
				46	Bellevue Road
	New Washoe City			50	Old US 395 (US 395 Alt, Bowers Mansion Road, Carson–Reno Highway) – Washoe City	Serves Bowers Mansion
				Galena Creek Bridge
	Reno			56	SR 431 (Mount Rose Highway) – North Lake Tahoe	Also serves SR 341 (Geiger Grade) – Virginia City
				57B	S. Virginia Street south (US 395 Alt. south) – Virginia City, Washoe City	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
				57A	S. Virginia Street north (US 395 Bus. north)	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
				59	Damonte Ranch Parkway
				60	South Meadows Parkway (SR 426)
				61	S. Virginia Street (US 395 Bus.)
				62	Neil Road, Meadowood Mall Way
				63	S. Virginia Street (US 395 Bus.), Kietzke Lane	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
				64	Moana Lane	Serves Reno-Sparks Convention Center
				65	Plumb Lane (SR 653), Villanova Drive – Reno-Tahoe International Airport	Signed as exits 65A (Villanova Drive, Plumb Lane) and 65B (airport) southbound
				66	Mill Street
				67	E. Second Street, Glendale Avenue (SR 648)
				68	I‑80 – Elko, Sacramento	North end of I-580; signed as exits 68A (east) and 68B (west) northbound
				—	US 395 north – Susanville	Continuation beyond I-80
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access

See also

• Nevada portal
• U.S. Roads portal

Notes

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 580 (Nevada).

• Carson City Freeway

Auxiliary routes of Interstate 80 California 1801 238 280 380 4801 580 680 780 880 8801 980 Business Nevada 580 Business Utah Business Wyoming 180 Business Nebraska 180 2801 480 5801 680 Iowa 280 380 480 680 Illinois 180 280 Ohio 280 3802 480 680 Pennsylvania 180 1801 2801 380 4801 6801 New Jersey 280 6801 1Former 2Proposed