One of the most breathtaking experiences in Reno, Nev., has nothing to do with nearby Lake Tahoe or winning a casino jackpot. Instead, it involves taking Interstate 80 from the west side of town to the south and navigating the infamous “Spaghetti Bowl” interchange.
Eastbound-to-southbound traffic routinely backs up onto I-80, and stuck motorists get close-up views of big-rig trucks roaring by on their way from California to points east. The long-recognized hazard—it came up frequently in transportation town hall meetings almost a decade ago—is the first need being addressed in a nearly 20-year highway improvement effort through central Reno.