The clogging of the mighty asphalt

Today's edition is dedicated, in part, to the mighty road. Those ribbons of base and asphalt that seem to define more and more of our life.

Our highways are the veins that carry the lifeblood of commerce as we move goods, commute to work, shop, school and like those vehicles in our bodies, when we don't take care of them they stop working.

The intersections of South Carson Street where this artery meets with Clearview Drive and Koontz Lane are ideal candidates for trouble.

Loads of folks, narrowed arteries.

The main lines, between Douglas and Carson, and Carson and Reno, should get some relief soon as the planned bypasses are completed.

Except, the insurance we took out years ago, 5-cent gas taxes, no longer guarantees coverage. (Funds are not yet identified for the last leg of the freeway or the state's plans for traffic south of town.)

Things will only get worse as we continue to grow and as the South Carson-Douglas corridor clogs with more human arterial plaque. We may be opening our northern arteries between the capital city and Reno (with I-580), but those vessels will only bottleneck south of town.

The interchange proposed to be built at highways 50 and 395 by 2010 will be overwhelmed by traffic in 2030.

The intersection will have the importance of the spaghetti bowl in Reno by that time, serving an estimated quarter million people between Carson City, Douglas and Lyon counties, according to the Nevada Demographer's Office.

Like the heart, if this clogs, all progress will stop. South Carson will become like today's downtown. The thundering pulse will drive us away.

We are cheered to see that the state's road doctors are working on plans for our health.

We would be ecstatic if they could promise more than plans. Promise that our heart would beat steadily and our extremities would be flush with life. That when we wake up from the yearslong surgeries on the board we'll be guaranteed continued health.

But there are no promises. No guarantees. No money yet to fix the problem. Not enough money ever.