Lyon County raises U.S. 95A passing concerns with NDOT

The Nevada Department of Transportation has been working to prioritize Lyon County’s major road projects through its major One Nevada consultation initiative, but the county commission still maintains the U.S. 95A has some of its most pressing needs for road safety.

NDOT Deputy Director Cole Mortensen expressed in his presentation to the Lyon County Commission on Dec. 1 that the department expects to be underfunded by $600 million each year to preserve its infrastructure trying to keep up with its “explosive growth” as Lyon’s population climbs.

“Once you know what a need is, whether it’s an intersection, you go through the process of identifying it,” he said. “We try to get these projects in the pipeline … and we start off with needs, and as we advance those needs, they turn into concepts.”

As an example, NDOT had installed horse fencing on the U.S. 50 to immediately assist with traffic safety. The department reported there have been several vehicle vs. horse crashes on 95A in recent years, with one reported in 2017, two in 2018 and two in 2019, before fencing was mounted to keep horses off the highway.

Mortensen said NDOT also completed double yellow striping on U.S. 95A to discourage illegal passing in Silver Springs and Yerington around trucks or slow-moving vehicles.

Commissioner Wes Henderson asked for clarification on the striping, with board Chair Vida Keller asking NDOT to take a closer look at areas along 95A.

“I drive to Yerington quite often, and since you did that, we have more unsafe passing now in those areas than we’ve ever had before,” Keller said. “And being one who’s been in more near-misses and near head-ons since you did that, I would really like you to take a second look at the reasoning behind why they did the shortening there.”

Keller added she’s not a “crazy passer” but has passed by other drivers in her commute between Silver Springs and Yerington.

“The ones you’re allowed to pass are the least safe and the ones that we always used prior, like myself, had used to get around somebody because you clear visibility, now there’s no passing, so now you’ve got people passing now more in the no-passing zones and you’re creating more of a no-passing zone,” she said.

Data for incidents pertaining to traffic crash and fatalities specific to the U.S. 95A have varied between 2016 and 2020 as reported by law enforcement officers, NDOT told the Appeal. In 2016, there were 22 incidents resulting in 37 injuries and 23 property-damage only crashes but zero fatalities.

In 2017, there was one fatality, 17 incidents resulting in 32 injuries and 19 property-damage only crashes. The following year, there were no fatalities but 24 incidents resulting in 58 injuries and 41 property-damage only crashes.

By 2019, the injuries had gone down slightly to 24 injuries with 48 injuries with 34 property-damage only crashes although there were three fatalities.

Finally, in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, there was one fatality with 13 incidents resulting in 37 injuries and 26 property-damage only crashes.

Mortensen also spoke briefly on NDOT’s 2023-24 work program, including $31.6 million in planned improvements for the county that will cover Americans with Disabilities Act transit changes along the U.S. 50 in Dayton, Yerington and Lake Lahontan and pavement preservation projects. He also said draft recommendations will be released on a passing and climbing lane study, and the department will work with the cities and the state’s counties on local road safety plans to explore grant opportunities.