ROADS: U.S. 95 chosen for I-11 route through Nevada

When construction eventually begins on the proposed Intermountain West Corridor, designated I-11, it will have a home in Nevada after the state transportation board selected U.S. 95 as the connector between Las Vegas and I-80. Decisions still must be made on how the proposed interstate will serve the Las Vegas Valley and northern Clark County.

The Nevada DOT board—which included State Controller Kim Wallin and Gov. Brian Sandoval—narrowed the route choices down to U.S. 95 in the west and U.S. 93 in the eastern part of the state. Choosing U.S. 95 will help drive traffic toward Reno and northwest Nevada, which is seeing a boom in industrial development.

Part of the board’s decision was also influenced by where I-11 goes after it leaves Nevada. Following off of U.S. 95, the Intermountain West Corridor can veer west toward the larger metropolitan areas of California and the Pacific Northwest; piggy-backing off of U.S. 93, on the other hand, would send the interstate through small cities in Idaho and Montana.