US 50 repairs needed

Eastbound U.S. 50 in Dayton is being reduced to one lane beginning this week as the Nevada Department of Transportation prepares to repair a depression in the highway.

Over recent months, NDOT has been closely monitoring the roadway, including an approximately 15-foot section of highway directly east of Dayton Valley Road which was sinking, creating dips in the driving surface. Ground-penetrating radar was used and bores of the underground surface made to evaluate the sinking section of earth underneath the roadway, potentially created by localized underground water erosion. Although there’s no anticipated threat of the roadway sinking further, one eastbound lane is closed to help drivers avoid the bumpy road surface.

In coming weeks, NDOT plans to repair the depression, potentially by injecting a specialized polyurethane solution which will automatically expand underneath the roadway to lift, reinforce and stabilize the soil. By avoiding the need to excavate, refill and repave the roadway, the repair strategy can mean less construction time and related traffic delays.

Approximately 19,000 vehicles travel the section of road every day.

Lyon County prepares for runoff

As Lyon County continues to recover from the January and February flood event it continues to plan for the upcoming spring and summer runoff.

There’s currently an estimated 640,000 acre feet or 208 billion gallons of water on the Walker Basin and 736,000 acre feet or 239 billion gallons of water on the Carson Basin. This concerns county and state officials with what the spring and summer will bring as far as flooding.

County Manager Jeff Page said a number of local governments and state agencies having been working to prepare for flooding throughout the region. To date these entities have

• Conducted a five county table top exercise.

• Conducted a number of planning meetings to ensure readiness.

• Implemented a public awareness campaign.

• Continued to clean drainages and performed debris removal to ensure water flow.

• Purchased sandbags and sand for public use as well as government use.

• Started sandbagging utilities and key infrastructure.

• Prioritized evacuation measures and identified special needs populations to ensure those people are properly protected.

• Conducted reconnaissance of potential weak points along the rivers and implemented measures to enhance the stability of those weak points.

Page says the local governments of Lyon County are working cooperatively to prepare for flooding and to help reduce the impact of flooding. He says people need to start planning for their families and begin playing the “what if” game.