Highway Expansion in Nevada – Balancing Speed with Sustainability

The Nevada Department of Transportation faced a challenge familiar to many growing states — expanding a major highway to accommodate booming traffic without creating long-term environmental harm. The I-580 corridor, connecting Reno to Carson City, needed more lanes, better safety features, and improved access for both commuters and freight. However, with parts of the highway running through sensitive desert ecosystems, conventional widening methods risked irreparable damage.

The project team adopted full-depth reclamation (FDR) with cement stabilization, reusing the existing pavement base and reducing the need for new aggregate. This not only preserved surrounding land from quarrying impacts but also cut hauling distances by 40%. For the surface layer, a high-performance polymer-modified asphalt was chosen for its extended service life and resilience to extreme temperature swings, from scorching summers to sub-zero winters. Advanced traffic management tools — including overnight work schedules, prefabricated bridge components, and drone-based inspections — kept disruption to a minimum. As a result, the project finished two months ahead of schedule, with cost savings of over $12 million. More importantly, the highway now supports smoother traffic flow, reduced greenhouse gas emissions from idling, and a 25-year pavement life expectancy.