Improvements Coming for Pyramid Highway
To enhance traffic safety and mobility on one of the region’s highest-traveled regional roadways, the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County (RTC) and Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) are partnering to make phased improvements to the Pyramid Highway.
The first phase of improvements, the Pyramid-McCarran Intersection Improvement Project, was completed in 2017. In September 2020, the RTC Washoe received $23 million in BUILD 20 grant funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the second phase in the comprehensive, long-range improvements for the corridor. To deliver the project, RTC partnered with NDOT for design, advertisement and construction administration.
The current phase is still in the design stage, with construction slated for spring 2023. RTC Washoe and NDOT will host an informational public meeting in fall 2021 to provide project details and schedule, and I encourage residents to attend and learn how this project will improve safety and ease of travel on this essential roadway.
Pyramid Highway is a four-lane undivided highway with minimal multimodal facilitates to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. The project will improve safety and mobility on Pyramid Highway by adding one general-purpose lane in each direction from Queen Way to Los Altos, constructing a shared-use path on the east shoulder from Queen Way to Golden View Drive, adding bike lanes, improving drainage facilities, and constructing screening and sound walls north of Los Altos.
To enhance safety, a raised median will be extended from the intersection of Los Altos to Golden View Drive.
Sparks, north of McCarran and through Spanish Springs, has grown tremendously in recent years. Pyramid Highway is the main thoroughfare connecting residents from Sparks to Pyramid Lake. Improvements are not a luxury, but a necessity for the safety and continued growth of our region.
Stay tuned to RTC, NDOT and your Washoe County Commission for updates. We are committed to providing residents the necessary infrastructure that can keep pace with the demands of our community.
Vice Chair Vaughn Hartung
District 4