The Nevada Department of Transportation has retained CH2M HILL to lead the development of a system master plan for the Interstate 15 corridor and its systemic connectors between Southern California and Northern Utah.

Working with the I-15 Mobility Alliance comprised of Nevada, California, Arizona and Utah, in addition to project partners in Colorado representing other multimodal systemic connectors to I-15, CH2M HILL will assist in defining a long-range multimodal transportation system vision, governance, funding strategies and project prioritization needed to serve all modes of transportation along the corridor.

The Englewood, Colo.-based engineering, consulting, construction and operations firm says this vision transcends the traditional concept of transportation by including not only highways and rail, but also the �transportation� of electrical energy, data and communications, water, and gaseous and liquid fuels.

�This is an exciting project that will define the long-range, multimodal transportation system vision, identify and prioritize projects needed to serve all modes of transportation along the I-15 corridor from Southern California to Northern Utah, and address the governance and funding strategies necessary to make this vision a reality,� says Sondra Rosenberg, NDOT�s project manager.

NDOT initiated the development of the corridor system master plan based on the projected increases in commodity flows from the western U.S. and Mexican ports, and population growth adjacent to this vital link in the nation�s transportation system.

The plan will define future transportation infrastructure to support national, regional, and local efforts to reduce traffic congestion, and enhance the movement of people, freight, and other commodities for decades to come, according to the NDOT.

The overall objectives of the corridor system master plan are:

� Build a unified alliance to set the national standard for cooperative regional mobility.
� Develop an alliance-driven program vision and brand to transform how people perceive the Interstate Highway System.
� Create a sustainable regional planning process for the I-15 corridor system that defines potential future transportation improvements.
� Develop a master plan that is a model for superior program delivery in the U.S.
� Work with the I-15 Mobility Alliance to secure legislative funding and influence transportation policy to advance priority projects.

�The 840-mi-long corridor master plan will establish a �best practice� standard for sustainable regional planning and corridor alliance collaboration across the United States,� says Bardia Nezhati, CH2M HILL project manager.

The I-15 corridor is not only vital to the economic stability of the western region, but to the entire nation as a whole, says the NDOT. In Nevada alone, I-15 is the single most important tourism and commerce corridor, and the lifeblood for southern Nevada�s economy. NDOT previously led the efforts of the multistate application to qualify this project for the prestigious U.S. Department of Transportation Corridors of the Future Program.

�The I-15 corridor is an asset of enormous value to the West and to the nation,� says NDOT Director Susan Martinovich. �The I-15 corridor master plan will lay the groundwork for improved mobility, economic prosperity, and a sustainable quality-of-life for the citizens we serve.�

I-15�s southern terminus is in San Diego, 13 mi north of the international border with Mexico. The northern terminus is in Sweetgrass, Montana, at the international border between the United States and Canada, where it becomes Alberta Highway 4. It is 1,433 mi long from San Diego to Sweetgrass.