Fairview Drive overpass opens

The Fairview Drive overpass that will take traffic over the future U.S. 395 bypass opened Friday.

The overpass replaces the former ground-level section of Fairview Drive between Saliman Road and South Lompa Lane.

Work on the $45 million leg of the U.S. 395 bypass from Highway 50 East to Fairview Drive is scheduled to be finished this summer.

This phase of the bypass started in October 2007.

The Fifth Street overpass taking traffic over U.S. 395 is scheduled to open in April, said Scott Magruder, a Nevada Department of Transportation representative.

Work on the city bypass started in 2006. The final phase connecting the bypass with Highway 50 West at the base of Spooner Summit leading to Lake Tahoe has been delayed indefinitely because of a lack of state funds. It is estimated to cost $140-$190 million.