The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) has selected leading infrastructure consultancy CH2M to provide environmental and preliminary design services for Reno’s ‘Spaghetti Bowl’ interchange improvement project.
The Nevada Transportation Board, chaired by Governor Brian Sandoval, along with the Regional Transportation Commission in Washoe County, identified reconstructing the nearly 50-year-old Reno I-80/I-580/US 395 ‘Spaghetti Bowl’ interchange, which serves over 300,000 vehicles daily, as high-priority for the state. Due to the rapid growth in the region and the outdated design, the Spaghetti Bowl and adjacent interchanges often become congested, spiking an increase in accidents. The Reno-Sparks area is experiencing dramatic population increases, with Washoe County expecting to see a rise of over 147,000 people over the next 20 years. The area is also seeing a major influx of commercial and industrial enterprises, putting even more strain on the highway network.
NDOT’s Spaghetti Bowl project will include improvements on a total of 10 service interchanges, one system-to-system interchange, braided/collector distributor systems, and multiple local roads. When complete, the improvements will accomplish long-term goals to meet 2040 travel demands, decrease congestion, and improve safety. To support the accelerated effort to update the interchange, CH2M’s services will help NDOT reach its goals of:
Accelerating delivery of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document for the project in less than three and a half years;
Minimizing right-of-way displacements and acquisitions, and utility impacts;
Identifying project-specific risks;
Developing a comprehensive stakeholder and public outreach plan;
Improving safety, operations and mobility in Reno and surrounding areas;
Enhancing the aesthetics though the core of the community.
The I-80/I-580/US 395 interchange reconstruction is not CH2M’s first technically challenging, time-critical NDOT project. Over the past eight years, the company played an integral role in expediting the NEPA and design process on Project NEON in Las Vegas, the largest public works project in Nevada’s history. CH2M is also working with NDOT to support the state’s vision to develop a collaborative policy framework for continuing connected and autonomous vehicle initiatives, further paving the way for a safe transportation future.
“The Reno Spaghetti Bowl reconstruction is regionally significant, politically sensitive, and technically complex,” noted Susan Martinovich, CH2M’s North American highways and bridges practice leader. “We understand how to get these types of improvements built. In this case, we’ll not only improve the commute for Nevada drivers and visitors, but also make the environmental and preliminary design process quicker and easier for NDOT.”
