The potholes, dust and mud that drivers braved along the unpaved portions of East Valley Road can be relegated to the history books.
County road crews surfaced the last mile this month, providing a reliable route to Minden and Gardnerville for residents living in the Johnson Lane area.
"This has been a high-priority project for a number of years," said County Manager Dan Holler. "It's good to see it come to fruition."
Because locals will be able to access Minden and Gardnerville from the east side of the Valley, the new East Valley route will cut about four miles off the trip to Minden, said Community Development Director Mitch Dion.
The $150,000 project took about a month to complete, according to figures from Douglas County's Community Development Department.
"People will be able to bike from Johnson Lane to Minden or Gardnerville and never see 395," he said.
Those hauling trash to the dump via the newly-surfaced road could avoid Highway 395 and reduce the trip by 15 minutes, said County Manager Dan Holler.
The road is paved with 6,500 tons of recycled grindings, an all-weather (recycled asphalt) surface donated by the Nevada Department of Transportation. Another 5,300 gallons of oil emulsion laid over the top was used to seal the project, Holler said.
"The project will alleviate dust complaints and potholes, but people need to watch the speed limit from Johnson Lane to Buckeye Road," he said. "They will be enforced."
The new surface looks like asphalt, but braking distances may need to be increased. Drivers should also be prepared to share the road with their neighbors on foot and bicycles, county officials said.
Last fall Douglas County's road department completed a similar effort, but left a gap of just one mile.
The remaining work just completed provides significant drainage improvements, county officials said.
Road crew supervisor Brett Reed acknowledged Bently Agrowdynamics, which donated the right-of-way for the project.
"Without their cooperation, we couldn't have done it," he said.
• Contact reporter Susie Vasquez at svasquez@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 211.