On the evening of Sunday, July 17, the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) began construction on Sparks Boulevard on the stretch between Lincoln Way and Greg Street. This phase one of roadwork includes re-striping the right-of-way lanes in both directions, increasing safety, accessibility, and improving bicycle/pedestrian convenience.
The RTC officially broke ground on the project last Monday, July 18, and is expected to last through spring of 2023. During the initial period of this construction, the RTC will be working from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. between I-80 and Lincoln Way and south of I-80 during the daytime hours from 5am-6pm. When construction work is happening, at least one lane will be open in each direction and there will be at least two lanes open when workers are not present. Commuters should be aware that at some point there will be a “marathon closure” on Sparks Boulevard near I-80 for 48- 72 hours to safely finish final paving, but the RTC will provide as much advance notice as possible regarding any major closures.
Phase 1 of the Sparks Boulevard Project is about a $12 million investment.
City of Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson and several council members attended the groundbreaking held on July 18 at 10 a.m. on 1650 East Greg Street.
“It went well [the groundbreaking event], this is a great project for us. We’re widening the roadway and adding a bike path leading to the river,” Mayor Lawson said. “I sit on the RTC board, and these projects are planned out 5-plus years in advance. This is badly needed; there are a lot of people moving to town and it will be good to get people off the roads. I’m most excited about the bike path… I think there’s more congestion in the downtown area and utilizing the bike paths are good for the heart and air quality,” he adds.
The entire Sparks Boulevard Project was designed to address the capacity deficiencies on the existing roadway and upgrade it to accommodate all modes of transportation including cars, buses, bicycles, and pedestrians while improving safety and mobility for all users. The corridor between Baring Boulevard and Greg Street became a focus when it was identified in the Sparks Boulevard MultiModal Corridor Study that was released by the RTC in June 2015.
This part of Sparks Boulevard mainly impacts people traveling to and from the industrial businesses on the southern end to Reed High School on the north end, with Wild Island and the Legends at Sparks Marina in between. Further developments are planned near Legends, Kiley Ranch, and empty sites along Sparks Boulevard, so it’s expected that growth and intensity will increase in the area.
Phase 2 is expected to begin in 2024 or 2025, which also involves widening the road to three lanes in each direction between Baring Boulevard and the I-80 westbound ramps. The second and final phase will also include pedestrian connections, bike lanes, and safety improvements. RTC has already finished the preliminary design work for this phase is preparing the Environmental Assessment for public comment.
Feel free to review and give your feedback on the project at SparksBlvdProject.com.
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