Freeway opens, commuters merge

Southbound traffic smoothly merged onto a newly opened Carson City Freeway at 3 p.m. Thursday, marking the completion of the first half of the bypass project.

About three minutes later the first group of motorists exited onto a congested Highway 50 East interchange, the end of the road and the beginning of the next phase.

Traffic snarled at the Highway 50 East interchange while crews worked to correct a minor problem with the traffic signal. The northbound on-ramp was opened half an hour later.

Cruising about 35 mph in their 1955 red and white Chevy named Flo, Wayne and Debbie Walters honked and waved at the NDOT workers near the freeway entrance. The retired couple said they wanted to be the first ones to drive a classic on the new freeway.

"It'll be slick when it's all done because downtown Carson City is so crowded," Walters said as he sped up to about 50 mph.

The Nevada Department of Transportation projects 15,000 commuters a day will use the $120 million North Carson freeway, which is about 3.5 miles long. Since the Walterses live in Minden, and only go to Reno about once a month for shopping and entertainment, they won't be one of those commuters. Debbie Walters said they'll use the freeway after it connects at South Carson Street at the base of Spooner Summit in 2010.

A sporty roadster gunned its engine as it shot by the classic Chevy. The Walterses may have been the first classic car on the freeway, but they weren't the fastest.

The car reached College Parkway in 1.5 minutes. NDOT spokesman Scott Magruder said daily congestion at the Carson Street and College Parkway intersection will be eased because 15,000 fewer cars will cross that intersection, a decrease of 43 percent.

"There's the Wal-Mart. We were there the first day it opened," Debbie Walters said. This is a couple that keeps track of its "firsts."

Walters happily reported he was the first to get Gov. Kenny Guinn's signature on the event program after the 2 p.m. ribbon cutting. About 200 people, including local officials and NDOT workers, attended the event in the northbound lanes of the freeway near the Arrowhead Drive interchange.

Nikki O'Brien, of Carson City, brought her 6-year-old son, Liam, to the event.

"It's a big deal for the community and I thought it would be educational for my son," she said.

Following the ribbon cutting, Guinn, with Carson City Mayor Marv Teixeira in the passenger seat, drove his black 2006 Cadillac DeVille through a banner stretched across the southbound lanes.

Those who live or work on the east side of Carson will save up to 10 minutes on their commute to Reno. Traveling at 65 mph, motorists will bypass downtown congestion and the traffic signals on College Parkway.

Back on the freeway, Walters steered his car into the left-turn lane to merge onto Highway 50 East. They're heading to an auto repair shop off the highway to pick up Debbie's car.

Dayton-area residents can travel on Highway 50, turn right on Graves Lane and access the freeway at the East College Parkway ramp.

After the novelty wears off, many commuters coming from South Carson, Gardnerville and Minden will stick to Carson Street.

"The end result was that it was nice and smooth," Walters said.

"And that was about 31Ú2 minutes," Debbie Walters said.

The Carson City bypass is the first freeway to be built in Northern Nevada in 10 years.

-- Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.

The Carson City freeway

Total cost: $330 million

Phase 1: From Highway 395 at Lakeview Hill to Highway 50 East, included building the four bridges spanning Arrowhead Drive, Northgate Lane, Emerson Drive and College Parkway. Those bridges cost $14 million, plus $70 million in construction and right-of-way costs, bringing the total cost of phase one to $120 million. The general contractor was Ames Construction.

Phase 2: From Highway 50 to Fairview Drive. The state will seek a contractor this summer. Lennie Boteilho, senior manager for Ames Construction, said his company will most likely bid on this phase.

This $50-million section is planned to be completed in 2008. Full interchanges will be constructed at Highway 50 East and at Fairview Drive. Grade separation structures will be built at Fifth Street, Koontz Lane, Clearview Drive and Snyder Avenue. The separations will allow traffic to pass over the freeway with no access provided to the freeway.

Phase 3: The last $110-million section to a full interchange with Highway 50 at the base of Spooner Summit should be completed by 2010. All rights-of-way are not yet acquired.

Washoe Valley connection:

The interstate under construction in Washoe Valley will connect with Highway 395 at the north end of Washoe Valley. It is scheduled to be completed in 2009. The whole length - from Reno through Carson City - will be called Interstate 580.

- Source: NDOT