June 22: The
South Carolina Department of Transportation adopts a new design for their state highway shields. A plain rectangle with "S.C." will be replaced by a blue design with a small logo above the number. Unlike the 2006 change in Oklahoma, signs will only be replaced when they would otherwise need replacement.[1]
March 14: House Bill 61 passes the Utah Legislature restoring the
U.S. Route 89A designation to what had been signed
State Route 11. With this change US-89A is again a true alternate route connecting to US-89 at both ends.[12]
April 6: The
Dewey Bridge is destroyed by a brush fire started by a 7 year old playing with matches. The bridge, built in 1916, was the longest suspension bridge in Utah and believed to be the oldest bridge across the
Colorado River still in use.[13]
June: The
Hood Canal Bridge, previously closed in May, is reopened eight days early on June 3.[20]
July 2: Construction begins to widen the
New Jersey Turnpike from ten to twelve lanes between
Cranbury and
East Brunswick and from six lanes to twelve lanes divided between cars and trucks between
Mansfield and Cranbury.[21]
November 9: Officials in New York and Vermont announce the future demolition of the
Champlain Bridge, a bridge over
Lake Champlain connecting
NY 185 and
VT 17 due to being unsafe.[27] The bridge has been closed since October 16.[28]
December 28: At 10:03 am, the
Champlain Bridge was demolished with 800 pounds of controlled explosives.[29]
December 28: (updated December 30) A laid off construction worker claims that substandard concrete was used on a 919-foot highway bridge, called the Galena Forest Bridge, and that the bridge is unsafe. The structure is one of five major bridges being constructed along future
Interstate 580 between
Reno and
Carson City.[30] Update: The
Nevada Department of Transportation spokesperson has said that the investigation is continuing; however, the preliminary investigation has found no evidence to substantiate the workers claims of substandard concrete and have called the worker disgruntled.[31]
2010
January 3: A three percent toll increase takes effect on the
Pennsylvania Turnpike. This increase, which was the seventh such in 70 years, was done to provide funding to roads and bridges throughout Pennsylvania.[32]
January 20: A construction project along a 5.5-mile stretch of
Interstate 15, between
US 95/
I-515 in
Las Vegas and Craig Road (
SR 573) in
North Las Vegas, was substantially completed in December—ahead of schedule and within budget. Originally expected to be completed in fall 2010, the work is finished except for final paving layers that will be laid when weather warms up. This project, which included mainline widening and the reconstruction of several bridges and interchanges, was the first time the
Nevada Department of Transportation has used the
design-build process.[33]
March 8: A major rock slide in
Colorado's
Glenwood Canyon has forced the closure of a portion of
Interstate 70, necessitating a detour of 150 to 200 miles. Boulders up to 66 tons punched multiple holes in the bridge decks of both the eastbound and westbound lanes, with the largest hole measuring 10 feet by 20 feet.[34][35]
March: The
New Jersey Turnpike considers selling naming rights to its 12 rest areas in order to gain money to close New Jersey's budget deficit.[37]
March 30:Hocking County, Ohio courts attempt to collect traffic fines and court costs on 20-year old tickets that were paid in full already.[38]
April 13–22:M-139 was officially extended southward by MDOT, replacing the remaining sections of
BUS US 31 and
BUS US 12 in the
Niles, Michigan area.[39][40] MDOT has confirmed that this update has not yet been reflected through signage or on maps yet.[41]
April 29: The Petoskey News-Review has reported that
M-108 will be decommissioned later this year. The
Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will reconstruct the highway this year in a project set to wrap up in August. After construction is completed, jurisdiction over the roadway will be transferred to the Village of
Mackinaw City and
Emmet County.[43] The highway has existed in some form since 1928.[44][45]
May 1: A twenty-two year old man named Michael Hulburt is shot and killed on
Interstate 225 in
Aurora, Colorado, closing the freeway for two hours.[46]
May 5: Three
Pennsylvania legislators propose putting tolls on
Interstate Highways at state lines in order to provide funding for the state's roads. The tolls, which would be run by
PennDOT, would cost $1 for cars and $5 for trucks. These toll plazas are projected to provide between $235 and $300 million of revenue a year.[47]
June 24: A contract is issued to Carbro Constructors Corporation to build the first portion of the
U.S. Route 206 bypass of
Hillsborough, New Jersey. Construction on this portion, planned to cost $43 million, is expected to begin in August 2010 with completion in 2012.[49]
July 23: A section of
Tennessee State Route 64 was named for retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Jerry Creighton Breast.[53]
August 1–7: The
National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running declared the first seven days of August as "National Stop on Red Week" to highlight safety concerns surrounding drivers who run red lights.[54]
August 4: The
Portage Lake Lift Bridge was stuck in the "up" position for several hours. This was the second failure in as many days. As the only road connection between
Houghton and
Hancock, Michigan, the problem stranded motorists on either side of the
Portage Canal that separates
Michigan's
Keweenaw Peninsula from the mainland.[56]
September 10:Baltimore and
Maryland announce that the section of
U.S. Route 40 freeway that was to be
Interstate 170, dubbed the "Highway to Nowhere", is being demolished. The freeway was cancelled as part of the
freeway revolts in Baltimore, but not before a section was built.[58]
September 23: The
U.S. Route 40 bridge over the
Patapsco River in
Ellicott City, Maryland, originally constructed in 1936, will be replaced in a project expected to be completed in 2013. During the bridge replacement, temporary bridges will be constructed to serve traffic for the first time in a major bridge project in Maryland.[59]
October 6: The
Pennsylvania Turnpike considers replacing manned toll booths with all-electronic tolls, in which
E-ZPass and credit cards will be accepted. In 2011, the Fort Littleton, Willow Hill, and Blue Mountain interchanges are expected to become unmanned, with cashless tolls to be expanded to the turnpike extensions such as
Pennsylvania Route 43 and
Pennsylvania Route 576 if this experiment proves to be successful.[60]
October 29: The
Iowa Department of Transportation installed drop-arm gates at major interchanges along
Interstate 29 and
Interstate 35 as part of a test program to remotely close sections of interstate highways during inclement weather or emergency.[63]
December 20: The Ohio Turnpike Commission voted to increase the speed limit of the
Ohio Turnpike to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). Despite opposition from the
Ohio Trucking Association and the
Ohio Motorists Association, the increase was approved by the Commission by a vote of 4 to 1 and will go into effect on April 1, 2011.[67]
March 7: The supporting wall on the eastbound
Interstate 80 bridge over Sullivan Trail in
Tannersville, Pennsylvania collapsed from snow and rain. As a result, eastbound I-80 was reduced to one lane and Sullivan Trail was closed.[71]
April 1: The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that US traffic fatalities have dropped to their lowest levels since 1949. Various factors were cited to explain the decrease including the replacement of older cars with safer models and improved highway engineering..[73]
April 18: New Jersey Transportation Commissioner
James Simpson announces trucks will remain banned from the
Garden State Parkway north of exit 105 after the
New Jersey Turnpike Authority considered removing the ban. The agency found the road had engineering concerns that would make the consideration of allowing trucks on this segment impossible.[75]
May 12: A bill is introduced to raise the speed limit on
Interstate 95 in Maine between
Old Town and
Houlton from 65 to 75 mph. If passed, Maine will be the first state east of the
Mississippi River since the 1970s and the first state in the
New England Region to establish a 75 mph speed limit.[77]
June 8: A section of the
Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) near Grays Ferry Avenue in
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania buckled from temperatures around 100 °F (38 °C), causing lane closures. The closed lane of the road was later reopened after temporary repairs, but will require full repairs.[79]
July 15: A portion of
Interstate 405 in
Los Angeles,
California through
Sepulveda Pass that carries 500,000 motorists a weekend is closed for construction until Monday, July 18 to allow for the demolition of a bridge as part of a widening project. The closure is expected to cause major traffic headaches throughout Los Angeles and has been referred to as "Carmageddon".[82]
July 31: The
Nevada Department of Transportation has announced that the
Galena Creek Bridge is complete enough to stand without the aid of
falsework, which will be removed shortly. This is one of the last remaining obstacles to the completion of
Interstate 580, which has been planned since the 1960s and has been delayed multiple times. The freeway is currently scheduled to open in 2012.[83]
October 10: A temporary bridge for
North Carolina Highway 12 in the
Outer Banks opens over a 200-foot (61 m) inlet carved by
Hurricane Irene on August 27, 2011, providing access to
Hatteras Island. The bridge, which is 662 feet (202 m) long, could be in place for more than 10 years while other solutions are thought out.[85]
November 2: A 3-mile-long (4.8 km) section of
I-680 between the
Missouri River and
I-29 reopened after floods this summer destroyed the old roadway. Construction was fast-tracked and completed in 34 working days.[86]
December 10: Discovery of substandard soil thought to be bedrock along a portion of the
Interstate 580 Extension between
Reno and
Carson City,
Nevada, has increased the project cost by $20 million and added an additional six months to the construction schedule. Now projected to be open in June 2012 at a cost of $555 million, the 8.5-mile (13.7 km) project is the largest highway construction contract ever awarded by the
Nevada Department of Transportation.[90]
February 15: Construction begins to extend
Route 18 from its current northern terminus at Hoes Lane to
I-287 in
Piscataway, New Jersey, by upgrading existing Hoes Lane and Centennial Avenue. The project is to cost $28 million and be completed in 2014.[92][93]
March 29: The Texas Transportation Commission votes to raise the speed limits on
State Highway 45 and
State Highway 130 which serve as the bypass of
Austin to 80 mph (130 km/h). In total, 54 miles (87 km) of freeways will have their speed limits increased once the signs are updated.[95]
April 23: The final strand of the cable supporting the self-anchored portion of the new
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge east span was pulled into place this month. The span will be the largest self-anchored suspension bridge in the world once completed. [96]
August 24: The southbound lanes of
Interstate 580 opened to traffic, with the northbound lanes expected to open on Monday the 27th. Temporarily northbound traffic is using the current alignment of
U.S. Route 395 while the northbound trunk is being completed at the
Bowers Mansion interchange. The freeway, formerly unsigned and only complete inside
Reno city limits, is now fully signed and extends to
Carson City.[102][103]
September 6: It is announced that the under-construction
SH 130 toll road between
Austin and
San Antonio in
Texas will have a speed limit of 85 mph (137 km/h), the highest posted speed limit in the United States.[104]
September 28 – October 1:Interstate 405 in
Los Angeles is scheduled to be closed for 53 hours for the demolition of a bridge.[105]
January 3: The
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality denies a permit to the Marquette County Road Commission for
County Road 595, killing the proposed project. The road, if built as planned, would have been privately financed to connect Kennecott Minerals'
Eagle Mine with the company's ore processing plant along a 21-mile-long (34 km) route instead of a 60-mile (97 km) route along existing county roads in
Marquette County.[111]
January 31: Ground is broken for a new interchange on
Pennsylvania Route 33 at Main Street in
Palmer Township. The interchange, which is to cost $40 million, is expected to be complete in 2014.[114]
October 29: The Elgin–O'Hare Expressway is redesignated
Illinois Route 390 at groundbreaking ceremonies for the Elgin–O’Hare Western Access Project.[121]
October 30: The Constantine Bypass along
U.S. Highway 131 near
Constantine, Michigan, opens. The five-mile (8.0 km)
Super-2 highway curves around the west side of the community and uses a new bridge to cross the
St. Joseph River. At the same time, a
business route has been put into service along the former route of the highway through downtown.[122]
July 24: The speed limit increases to 80 mph (130 km/h) for cars and 70 mph (110 km/h) for trucks on some rural portions of
I-15,
I-84, and
I-86 in
Idaho.[131]
November 3: The widening of the
New Jersey Turnpike between exit 6 (Pearl Harbor Memorial Extension) in
Mansfield Township and exit 8A (
Route 32) in
Monroe Township to a dual-dual configuration with separate lanes for cars and cars, trucks, and buses is completed with the opening of the southbound lanes.[133] The northbound lanes opened on October 26.[134]
December 30: Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder signs Public Act 445 into law, giving the name
Pure Michigan Byway to the former Michigan Heritage Routes.[137]
2015
February 24: The state of
Delaware announces that it will raise the speed limit on
Interstate 95 between the
Maryland border and
Interstate 495 from 55 to 65 mph (from 90 to 105 km/h) in summer 2015.[138]
December 8: The portion of
Interstate 580 within
Carson City limits is named to honor Carson City Sheriff's Office Deputy Carl Howell, who was killed while investigating a domestic violence incident.[149]
December 23: A massive
landslide located approximately 35 miles (56 km) southwest of
Roseburg, Oregon, shuts down a section of
Oregon Route 42 that was involved in an
ODOT construction project.[151]
2016
January 14: Washington Governor
Jay Inslee orders work on the tunnel-boring machine
Bertha to halt after a
sinkhole formed on the project site; two weeks earlier, the machine had resumed excavation of the
Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel in
Seattle, Washington, after a two-year-long delay.[152]
June 28: The
Nevada Department of Transportation closes the 1931 bore of the
Cave Rock Tunnel, which carries
U.S. Route 50 along the shore of
Lake Tahoe, for a retrofit project where the length of the tunnel will be extended by about 60 feet (18 m). The intent is to stabilize the mountain and construct a shelter to protect the highway from rocks that are breaking away from Cave Rock, and have already caused one major rock slide.[163][164]
August 2: The next phase of
Interstate 580 is dedicated in
Carson City, Nevada. With this phase the freeway is paved to its final terminus; the only remaining portion to be constructed is the intersection and flyover ramps to connect with
U.S. Route 50 and
U.S. Route 395 at the freeway's southern end.[178][179]
September 8: USA Parkway opens to traffic as
Nevada State Route 439 after several stalled proposals and proposed designations. Though the road has been partially finished for years, the need to finish the parkway became more urgent with the increased truck traffic on
I-80 to serve
Tesla Inc.'s
Gigafactory 1. The new road will allow access to the
Tahoe Reno Industrial Center via either I-80 or
US 50.[182]
June 22: The
South Carolina Department of Transportation adopts a new design for their state highway shields. A plain rectangle with "S.C." will be replaced by a blue design with a small logo above the number. Unlike the 2006 change in Oklahoma, signs will only be replaced when they would otherwise need replacement.[1]
March 14: House Bill 61 passes the Utah Legislature restoring the
U.S. Route 89A designation to what had been signed
State Route 11. With this change US-89A is again a true alternate route connecting to US-89 at both ends.[12]
April 6: The
Dewey Bridge is destroyed by a brush fire started by a 7 year old playing with matches. The bridge, built in 1916, was the longest suspension bridge in Utah and believed to be the oldest bridge across the
Colorado River still in use.[13]
June: The
Hood Canal Bridge, previously closed in May, is reopened eight days early on June 3.[20]
July 2: Construction begins to widen the
New Jersey Turnpike from ten to twelve lanes between
Cranbury and
East Brunswick and from six lanes to twelve lanes divided between cars and trucks between
Mansfield and Cranbury.[21]
November 9: Officials in New York and Vermont announce the future demolition of the
Champlain Bridge, a bridge over
Lake Champlain connecting
NY 185 and
VT 17 due to being unsafe.[27] The bridge has been closed since October 16.[28]
December 28: At 10:03 am, the
Champlain Bridge was demolished with 800 pounds of controlled explosives.[29]
December 28: (updated December 30) A laid off construction worker claims that substandard concrete was used on a 919-foot highway bridge, called the Galena Forest Bridge, and that the bridge is unsafe. The structure is one of five major bridges being constructed along future
Interstate 580 between
Reno and
Carson City.[30] Update: The
Nevada Department of Transportation spokesperson has said that the investigation is continuing; however, the preliminary investigation has found no evidence to substantiate the workers claims of substandard concrete and have called the worker disgruntled.[31]
2010
January 3: A three percent toll increase takes effect on the
Pennsylvania Turnpike. This increase, which was the seventh such in 70 years, was done to provide funding to roads and bridges throughout Pennsylvania.[32]
January 20: A construction project along a 5.5-mile stretch of
Interstate 15, between
US 95/
I-515 in
Las Vegas and Craig Road (
SR 573) in
North Las Vegas, was substantially completed in December—ahead of schedule and within budget. Originally expected to be completed in fall 2010, the work is finished except for final paving layers that will be laid when weather warms up. This project, which included mainline widening and the reconstruction of several bridges and interchanges, was the first time the
Nevada Department of Transportation has used the
design-build process.[33]
March 8: A major rock slide in
Colorado's
Glenwood Canyon has forced the closure of a portion of
Interstate 70, necessitating a detour of 150 to 200 miles. Boulders up to 66 tons punched multiple holes in the bridge decks of both the eastbound and westbound lanes, with the largest hole measuring 10 feet by 20 feet.[34][35]
March: The
New Jersey Turnpike considers selling naming rights to its 12 rest areas in order to gain money to close New Jersey's budget deficit.[37]
March 30:Hocking County, Ohio courts attempt to collect traffic fines and court costs on 20-year old tickets that were paid in full already.[38]
April 13–22:M-139 was officially extended southward by MDOT, replacing the remaining sections of
BUS US 31 and
BUS US 12 in the
Niles, Michigan area.[39][40] MDOT has confirmed that this update has not yet been reflected through signage or on maps yet.[41]
April 29: The Petoskey News-Review has reported that
M-108 will be decommissioned later this year. The
Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will reconstruct the highway this year in a project set to wrap up in August. After construction is completed, jurisdiction over the roadway will be transferred to the Village of
Mackinaw City and
Emmet County.[43] The highway has existed in some form since 1928.[44][45]
May 1: A twenty-two year old man named Michael Hulburt is shot and killed on
Interstate 225 in
Aurora, Colorado, closing the freeway for two hours.[46]
May 5: Three
Pennsylvania legislators propose putting tolls on
Interstate Highways at state lines in order to provide funding for the state's roads. The tolls, which would be run by
PennDOT, would cost $1 for cars and $5 for trucks. These toll plazas are projected to provide between $235 and $300 million of revenue a year.[47]
June 24: A contract is issued to Carbro Constructors Corporation to build the first portion of the
U.S. Route 206 bypass of
Hillsborough, New Jersey. Construction on this portion, planned to cost $43 million, is expected to begin in August 2010 with completion in 2012.[49]
July 23: A section of
Tennessee State Route 64 was named for retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Jerry Creighton Breast.[53]
August 1–7: The
National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running declared the first seven days of August as "National Stop on Red Week" to highlight safety concerns surrounding drivers who run red lights.[54]
August 4: The
Portage Lake Lift Bridge was stuck in the "up" position for several hours. This was the second failure in as many days. As the only road connection between
Houghton and
Hancock, Michigan, the problem stranded motorists on either side of the
Portage Canal that separates
Michigan's
Keweenaw Peninsula from the mainland.[56]
September 10:Baltimore and
Maryland announce that the section of
U.S. Route 40 freeway that was to be
Interstate 170, dubbed the "Highway to Nowhere", is being demolished. The freeway was cancelled as part of the
freeway revolts in Baltimore, but not before a section was built.[58]
September 23: The
U.S. Route 40 bridge over the
Patapsco River in
Ellicott City, Maryland, originally constructed in 1936, will be replaced in a project expected to be completed in 2013. During the bridge replacement, temporary bridges will be constructed to serve traffic for the first time in a major bridge project in Maryland.[59]
October 6: The
Pennsylvania Turnpike considers replacing manned toll booths with all-electronic tolls, in which
E-ZPass and credit cards will be accepted. In 2011, the Fort Littleton, Willow Hill, and Blue Mountain interchanges are expected to become unmanned, with cashless tolls to be expanded to the turnpike extensions such as
Pennsylvania Route 43 and
Pennsylvania Route 576 if this experiment proves to be successful.[60]
October 29: The
Iowa Department of Transportation installed drop-arm gates at major interchanges along
Interstate 29 and
Interstate 35 as part of a test program to remotely close sections of interstate highways during inclement weather or emergency.[63]
December 20: The Ohio Turnpike Commission voted to increase the speed limit of the
Ohio Turnpike to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). Despite opposition from the
Ohio Trucking Association and the
Ohio Motorists Association, the increase was approved by the Commission by a vote of 4 to 1 and will go into effect on April 1, 2011.[67]
March 7: The supporting wall on the eastbound
Interstate 80 bridge over Sullivan Trail in
Tannersville, Pennsylvania collapsed from snow and rain. As a result, eastbound I-80 was reduced to one lane and Sullivan Trail was closed.[71]
April 1: The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that US traffic fatalities have dropped to their lowest levels since 1949. Various factors were cited to explain the decrease including the replacement of older cars with safer models and improved highway engineering..[73]
April 18: New Jersey Transportation Commissioner
James Simpson announces trucks will remain banned from the
Garden State Parkway north of exit 105 after the
New Jersey Turnpike Authority considered removing the ban. The agency found the road had engineering concerns that would make the consideration of allowing trucks on this segment impossible.[75]
May 12: A bill is introduced to raise the speed limit on
Interstate 95 in Maine between
Old Town and
Houlton from 65 to 75 mph. If passed, Maine will be the first state east of the
Mississippi River since the 1970s and the first state in the
New England Region to establish a 75 mph speed limit.[77]
June 8: A section of the
Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) near Grays Ferry Avenue in
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania buckled from temperatures around 100 °F (38 °C), causing lane closures. The closed lane of the road was later reopened after temporary repairs, but will require full repairs.[79]
July 15: A portion of
Interstate 405 in
Los Angeles,
California through
Sepulveda Pass that carries 500,000 motorists a weekend is closed for construction until Monday, July 18 to allow for the demolition of a bridge as part of a widening project. The closure is expected to cause major traffic headaches throughout Los Angeles and has been referred to as "Carmageddon".[82]
July 31: The
Nevada Department of Transportation has announced that the
Galena Creek Bridge is complete enough to stand without the aid of
falsework, which will be removed shortly. This is one of the last remaining obstacles to the completion of
Interstate 580, which has been planned since the 1960s and has been delayed multiple times. The freeway is currently scheduled to open in 2012.[83]
October 10: A temporary bridge for
North Carolina Highway 12 in the
Outer Banks opens over a 200-foot (61 m) inlet carved by
Hurricane Irene on August 27, 2011, providing access to
Hatteras Island. The bridge, which is 662 feet (202 m) long, could be in place for more than 10 years while other solutions are thought out.[85]
November 2: A 3-mile-long (4.8 km) section of
I-680 between the
Missouri River and
I-29 reopened after floods this summer destroyed the old roadway. Construction was fast-tracked and completed in 34 working days.[86]
December 10: Discovery of substandard soil thought to be bedrock along a portion of the
Interstate 580 Extension between
Reno and
Carson City,
Nevada, has increased the project cost by $20 million and added an additional six months to the construction schedule. Now projected to be open in June 2012 at a cost of $555 million, the 8.5-mile (13.7 km) project is the largest highway construction contract ever awarded by the
Nevada Department of Transportation.[90]
February 15: Construction begins to extend
Route 18 from its current northern terminus at Hoes Lane to
I-287 in
Piscataway, New Jersey, by upgrading existing Hoes Lane and Centennial Avenue. The project is to cost $28 million and be completed in 2014.[92][93]
March 29: The Texas Transportation Commission votes to raise the speed limits on
State Highway 45 and
State Highway 130 which serve as the bypass of
Austin to 80 mph (130 km/h). In total, 54 miles (87 km) of freeways will have their speed limits increased once the signs are updated.[95]
April 23: The final strand of the cable supporting the self-anchored portion of the new
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge east span was pulled into place this month. The span will be the largest self-anchored suspension bridge in the world once completed. [96]
August 24: The southbound lanes of
Interstate 580 opened to traffic, with the northbound lanes expected to open on Monday the 27th. Temporarily northbound traffic is using the current alignment of
U.S. Route 395 while the northbound trunk is being completed at the
Bowers Mansion interchange. The freeway, formerly unsigned and only complete inside
Reno city limits, is now fully signed and extends to
Carson City.[102][103]
September 6: It is announced that the under-construction
SH 130 toll road between
Austin and
San Antonio in
Texas will have a speed limit of 85 mph (137 km/h), the highest posted speed limit in the United States.[104]
September 28 – October 1:Interstate 405 in
Los Angeles is scheduled to be closed for 53 hours for the demolition of a bridge.[105]
January 3: The
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality denies a permit to the Marquette County Road Commission for
County Road 595, killing the proposed project. The road, if built as planned, would have been privately financed to connect Kennecott Minerals'
Eagle Mine with the company's ore processing plant along a 21-mile-long (34 km) route instead of a 60-mile (97 km) route along existing county roads in
Marquette County.[111]
January 31: Ground is broken for a new interchange on
Pennsylvania Route 33 at Main Street in
Palmer Township. The interchange, which is to cost $40 million, is expected to be complete in 2014.[114]
October 29: The Elgin–O'Hare Expressway is redesignated
Illinois Route 390 at groundbreaking ceremonies for the Elgin–O’Hare Western Access Project.[121]
October 30: The Constantine Bypass along
U.S. Highway 131 near
Constantine, Michigan, opens. The five-mile (8.0 km)
Super-2 highway curves around the west side of the community and uses a new bridge to cross the
St. Joseph River. At the same time, a
business route has been put into service along the former route of the highway through downtown.[122]
July 24: The speed limit increases to 80 mph (130 km/h) for cars and 70 mph (110 km/h) for trucks on some rural portions of
I-15,
I-84, and
I-86 in
Idaho.[131]
November 3: The widening of the
New Jersey Turnpike between exit 6 (Pearl Harbor Memorial Extension) in
Mansfield Township and exit 8A (
Route 32) in
Monroe Township to a dual-dual configuration with separate lanes for cars and cars, trucks, and buses is completed with the opening of the southbound lanes.[133] The northbound lanes opened on October 26.[134]
December 30: Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder signs Public Act 445 into law, giving the name
Pure Michigan Byway to the former Michigan Heritage Routes.[137]
2015
February 24: The state of
Delaware announces that it will raise the speed limit on
Interstate 95 between the
Maryland border and
Interstate 495 from 55 to 65 mph (from 90 to 105 km/h) in summer 2015.[138]
December 8: The portion of
Interstate 580 within
Carson City limits is named to honor Carson City Sheriff's Office Deputy Carl Howell, who was killed while investigating a domestic violence incident.[149]
December 23: A massive
landslide located approximately 35 miles (56 km) southwest of
Roseburg, Oregon, shuts down a section of
Oregon Route 42 that was involved in an
ODOT construction project.[151]
2016
January 14: Washington Governor
Jay Inslee orders work on the tunnel-boring machine
Bertha to halt after a
sinkhole formed on the project site; two weeks earlier, the machine had resumed excavation of the
Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel in
Seattle, Washington, after a two-year-long delay.[152]
June 28: The
Nevada Department of Transportation closes the 1931 bore of the
Cave Rock Tunnel, which carries
U.S. Route 50 along the shore of
Lake Tahoe, for a retrofit project where the length of the tunnel will be extended by about 60 feet (18 m). The intent is to stabilize the mountain and construct a shelter to protect the highway from rocks that are breaking away from Cave Rock, and have already caused one major rock slide.[163][164]
August 2: The next phase of
Interstate 580 is dedicated in
Carson City, Nevada. With this phase the freeway is paved to its final terminus; the only remaining portion to be constructed is the intersection and flyover ramps to connect with
U.S. Route 50 and
U.S. Route 395 at the freeway's southern end.[178][179]
September 8: USA Parkway opens to traffic as
Nevada State Route 439 after several stalled proposals and proposed designations. Though the road has been partially finished for years, the need to finish the parkway became more urgent with the increased truck traffic on
I-80 to serve
Tesla Inc.'s
Gigafactory 1. The new road will allow access to the
Tahoe Reno Industrial Center via either I-80 or
US 50.[182]