NDOT has awarded a preconstruction agreement in preparation for the future I-80 East Widening Project between Vista Boulevard and USA Parkway. 

NDOT says the project will add one lane in each direction and widen shoulders to help ease congestion for those traveling between Reno, Sparks, and the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) benefiting the thousands of drivers who rely on the corridor daily. The proposed widening and improvements are projected to cut total crash rates by 20% once completed.

I-80 east map

This upcoming preconstruction phase will help NDOT assess existing conditions in the project area before construction begins. Preconstruction work includes locating underground utilities, geotechnical investigations to better understand earthwork constraints, extensive site investigations, and developing final design elements.

Drivers can expect increased activity for this engineering work and are encouraged to slow down or move over so crews can perform the work safely. Some minor traffic impacts may be necessary, such as single lane closures; however, NDOT will schedule the majority of those activities during overnight hours to reduce impacts to peak daytime commuter hours.

Drivers will see more significant traffic impacts when major construction begins as early as late 2027. 

When completed, I-80 will offer:

  • Widening to three lanes in each direction, offering more reliable travel time and reduced delays
  • Safety elements such as median barrier rails, wider inside and outside shoulders, and wrong-way driver detection to reduce crash rates
  • Interchange improvements at Lockwood, Mustang, and Patrick
  • Added capacity to accommodate more vehicles for current and planned growth in the region.

For more information, visit the project website: i80eastnv.com.

Download PDF NDOT I-80 east fact sheet

ORIGINAL STORY: 

Many drivers were in standstill traffic head out I-80 eastbound near Patrick heading towards USA Parkway. Five cars had crashed into each other.

"There's too much traffic going out to USA Parkway to compensate for the roads and infrastructure we have now," said Tiylor Foster, local resident. "Traffic on I-80 needs to be four lanes, there's no way around it."

"Sometimes it can make me late, depending on what I'm doing," said Skyler Prothro, local resident.

Those are reactions from people who travel on I-80 from Vista Boulevard and USA Parkway.

Congestion can get really bad on that section of the interstate. It's not a quick fix, but there are plans to address the issue. 

In a nutshell, the most concrete one is the Nevada Department of Transportation has plans to widen that section of the freeway, but it won't be done for at least for another six years.

There are talks about building an entire new road and also even using a train to avoid traffic all together.

NDOT says traffic has increased by 70 percent over the past 10 years and it's expected to grow.

Which is why the agency is planning to add an additional lane, for each direction.

They say adding more room on the interstate is important, but improvements should help lessen crashes as well.

"Safety is just as important and if we look at our safety modeling, we anticipate that these improvements will help reduce crashes by approximately 20% versus not doing any improvements," said Chris Kuhn, Senior Project Manager, NDOT.

The agency says they will also be widening the shoulder of the road to allow easier access for emergency responders and more room to get cars off the road during a crash scene.

Work is already being done on a geotechnical study to get the project ready. Right now there are overnight lane reductions on that stretch.

Real construction is expected to start in 2027 and last until about 2031.

However, NDOT says next year they will have more concrete timelines. The agency says they are ironing out those details for drivers worried about traffic from the road work during that span. 

"At this point in time, I don't have all the answers about potential lane closures, but we will limit impacts as much as we can during construction," Kuhn said.

Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson was vying for a toll road from Spanish Springs out to the Tahoe Reno Industrial Complex. It did not make it out the Nevada State Legislature.

A spokesperson with the City of Sparks said he was out of town, but he is still working on something to get done.

The Regional Transportation Commission says there is a study for a connector road in that area. The commission expects to have more details and have a public meeting and materials about that in December. 

RTC is also in talks to use existing railroad tracks for a possible train system out there. 

"RTC Commuter Rail Study - this is in its earliest phase, we should have an update on where this is in a month or two," a spokesperson with RTC sent us in an email.

In the recent 2025 legislative session, Assembly Bill 256 established the Regional Rail Transit Advisory working group.

It's made up of people from Clark and Washoe counties. It includes people in many fields to conduct a study to see what is need for transportation and how they can get more funding for the whole state. 

The one thing with any of the big projects, they will come with a hefty price tag.