NDOT to add four passing lanes on U.S. 95 between Mercury, Beatty

The Nevada Department of Transportation told the Nye County Commission that it will add four new passing-lane segments along U.S. 95 between Mercury and Beatty within the next 24 months, a move aimed at reducing risky passing on a stretch of highway that exceeds 50 miles.

NDOT Deputy Director of Operations and Maintenance Mario Gomez said two of the projects have approved start dates in March of this year, with the remaining two slated to begin in 2027. One of the 2027 projects carries an approved start date of Jan. 11, 2027, and the other is planned for March 2027. Each segment is estimated to cost roughly $3 million to $4 million, putting the combined program in the low tens of millions of dollars.

The projects target specific mileposts to create more frequent safe passing opportunities. Planned north- and southbound passing lanes are set between mileposts 17.7 and 19.1 and between mileposts 42 and 43.2. Additional north- and southbound lanes are planned between mileposts 71.5 and 73 with a Jan. 2027 start date. A southbound-only lane is planned from mileposts 30 to 32.5 with a March 2027 start. NDOT said the additions will provide more continuous passing opportunities every 10 to 12 miles along the corridor and will reduce the need for risky, lawbreaking maneuvers where one-lane conditions now exist.

Nye County commissioners reacted positively to the NDOT update, viewing the work as a practical safety enhancement for residents, commercial drivers, and visitors traveling through southern Nye County on U.S. 95. For local businesses and tourism, sectors that rely on reliable highway travel, the improvements promise smoother traffic flow and fewer hazardous delays at passing points.

The NDOT briefing also referenced the agency’s broader One Nevada planning process and noted a related effort to pursue roughly $35 million in grant funding for sidewalks and bike lanes in northern Nye County, including Tonopah projects. That parallel push signals attention to both rural highway safety and nonmotorized infrastructure within the county.

Drivers in the corridor should expect staged construction activity beginning with the March starts this year and further work in early 2027. The projects are intended to reduce instances of unsafe passing and to break up long single-lane stretches that can frustrate motorists and increase crash risk. County leaders and NDOT will provide scheduling details as contracts are finalized, and residents should monitor county and NDOT communications for work-zone advisories and lane-closure notices.

For Nye County travelers, the coming work means a tradeoff of short-term construction disruption for long-term corridor safety and more predictable travel between Mercury and Beatty.