The Nevada Department of Transportation is lowering the speed limit from 70 to 65 mph on the section of Interstate 80 between Mustang and Orchard, just west of Fernley. The new speed limit signs may be installed as early as March 30, unless the work is delayed by the weather.
Traffic safety is NDOT’s top priority. NDOT carefully reviews traffic and road characteristics to select the most appropriate speed limits, to improve traffic safety. In this geographically confined corridor, with the Truckee River on one side and hills on the other, increasing traffic volumes and speeds have created growing traffic safety concerns.
As the region continues to develop, traffic on the corridor has increased by almost 70% in the past 10 years, from 25,000 vehicles daily in 2011 to 42,000 vehicles in 2021. The crash rate on sections of the corridor is 115% higher than the statewide average for similar roadways.
\NDOT will continue to evaluate this section of I-80, with speed studies one and three years following the speed limit modification, to evaluate average traffic speeds, safety, and other factors relating to the new speed limit.
In the spring of 2021, NDOT also launched the Speed Management Action Plan to develop further strategies to manage speed on all roadways in Nevada and save lives.
Across Nevada, speed is a leading cause of traffic deaths. In a recent five-year period, there were 496 speeding-related fatalities in Nevada, representing more than a quarter of all fatal crashes. Traffic crashes at higher speeds can also be more severe.
NDOT reminds motorists to follow posted speed limits. It is also illegal to drive faster than speeds that are safe for current roadway conditions. This means that drivers may have to reduce speeds well below the posted speed limit for safety during inclement weather or other adverse conditions.
Future interstate improvements based on safety, scoping, and corridor analyses in the area between Sparks and the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center are also being planned.
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