Carson City gets a mini-bypass

The Graves Lane extension may have seemed like a long time coming, but it didn't take Carson City motorists much time to warm up to the new mini-bypass on the east side.

By Friday afternoon, within hours of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $6.3 million project, motorists were already buzzing along the fresh black pavement.

The Graves extension provides the missing link to moving traffic, not only between the north end of Carson City and Highway 50, but all the way along Edmonds Drive to the south end of town. Judging by the amount of cars it's carrying already, more than a few people will be using that route regularly.

Although completion had been hoped for by Nevada Day, the couple of months extra was worth it.

If you haven't driven it yet, go ahead and take a spin so that you can see the nicely landscaped median, the $1 million worth of sound walls to protect residences and a new view of the Carson City Airport.

As Transportation Commission Chairman Jon Plank noted at the opening, "In addition to an important traffic route, it's one of the better looking streets we'll have in town."

True enough.

Granite Construction Co. was praised by neighbors for working with them and listening to their concerns, as well as a professional-looking job on the street.

While the project had its ups and downs - recall the initial faux pas by city officials in acquiring right of way through residents' back yards - the result is a smooth drive on Carson City's northeast end.