Appendix C: Potential Local Transportation Projects

Potential Local Transportation Projects – Examples of Project Types:

  • Providing sufficient shoulders to allow for bike lanes and pedestrian paths;
  • Providing additional bicycle and pedestrian facilities;
  • Provision of safety and educational activities for pedestrians and bicyclists;
  • Acquisition of scenic easements and scenic or historic sites;
  • Scenic or historic highway programs (including the provision of tourist and welcome center facilities);
  • Landscaping and other scenic beautification;
  • Historic preservation;
  • Rehabilitation and operation of historic transportation buildings, structures or facilities (including historic railroad facilities and canals);
  • Preservation of abandoned railway corridors (including the conversion and use thereof for pedestrian or bicycle trails);
  • Control and removal of outdoor advertising;
  • Archaeological planning and research;
  • Environmental mitigation to address water pollution due to highway runoff or reduce vehicle-caused wildlife mortality while maintaining habitat connectivity;
  • Establishment of transportation museums;
  • Providing turnouts and parking areas for all season recreational use and sightseeing;
  • Providing fisheries enhancement projects in waterways affected by highway improvements;
  • Providing additional deer warning signs in areas of heavy deer use and/or improving existing signage to emphasize the hazard in the area;
  • Providing wildlife guzzlers and enhancing forage to keep wildlife from crossing highways;
  • Enhancing visually objective uses alongside highways through screening, painting, fences, etc.; and
  • Providing interpretive/information signs and exhibits.

Potential Local Transportation Projects by Area/Road

US 395 Antelope Valley

  1. Acquisition of nearby deer habitat areas.
  2. Enhancement of deer habitat on the west side of 395 to reduce the number of highway crossings.
  3. Enhance available water and forage for deer.
  4. Install additional deer-crossing warning signs.
  5. Establish roadside turnouts/deer view areas (these would be more appropriate in the Eastside Lane area, although interpretive signs directing people to Eastside Lane may be appropriate on US 395).
  6. Establish screening vegetation for deer around Marine housing complex, in cooperation with BLM and Marine Corps.
  7. Widen shoulders to allow for vehicle turnouts and scenic viewing.

SR 182 Walker River Bridge Project (at Bridgeport Reservoir Dam)

  1. Enhance swallow habitat.
  2. Enlarge existing turnout/parking area and include interpretive facilities.
  3. Improve SR 182 to include a bikeway to the state line.
  4. Provide for improved pedestrian access & crossings on the north/south sides of the bridge.

US 395 Bridgeport Main Street

  1. Construct northern sidewalk gap on the west end of town from Buster’s Market site to existing sidewalk.
  2. Improve northern sidewalk from Burger Barn to Walker River Lodge.
  3. Add southern sidewalk section on west end of town from Twin Lakes Road to the rodeo grounds.
  4. Construct (removable) curb extensions and pedestrian-activated warning lights at existing crosswalks.
  5. Improve walkability using features such as pedestrian furniture, pedestrian-scale street lighting, trash/recycling receptacles, bike racks, additional crosswalks, and street trees/landscaping beautification.
  6. Design and construct signage and wayfinding for the town core.
  7. Design and construct gateway monument signs at the ends of town.

Bridgeport Valley Trails

  1. Provide for a mountain biking trail in the Bridgeport vicinity.
  2. Maintain existing trails.

Twin Lakes Road Resurfacing (Bridgeport)

  1. Construct bike lane along shoulder or parallel to existing route, for approximately 13 miles.
  2. Enhance wetland values or provide replacement wetlands.

US 395 Conway Summit Passing Lane

  1. Complete four-laning or passing lane addition on US 395 north of Conway Summit.
  2. Install interpretive signs at Mono Basin Overlook regarding deer migration and restrooms.
  3. In conjunction with Cemetery Road project, enhance forage on BLM and State lands.
  4. Preserve via land purchase or other measures scenic Mono Basin properties.
  5. Rehabilitate/stabilize Conway Summit road cuts.

Big Virginia Lake Road and Trailhead Improvements

  1. Provide access/fishing pier at Big Virginia Lakes.
  2. US 395 Cemetery Road Passing Lane
  3. Fisheries enhancement in Mill Creek (creation of pools, fencing to exclude sheep, providing for fish passage through upstream diversions on Mill Creek).
  4. Enhance forage on BLM and State lands.
  5. Vista pullout and parking for Mono Lake viewing and Mill Creek access.

US 395 Four-Lane Project Between Lee Vining and June Lake

  1. Mono Basin Scenic Area viewpoint.
  2. Improve wildlife habitat.
  3. Interpretive turnout/parking area to highlight Walker/Parker/Rush Creek restoration.
  4. Lee Vining Creek interpretive signing, trail construction, and trailhead parking, coordinated with community and USFS current trail efforts.
  5. Visual enhancement of US 395/SR 120 junction.
  6. SR 120 pullouts and parking for Mono Lake viewing, visitor orientation, interpretive and information station.
  7. Walker and Rush creeks, access parking for fishing, hiking, etc.
  8. North US 395/SR 158 junction, information station to provide visitors with recreation opportunities around June Lake Loop.

US 395  –  Sand House Grade Segment

  1. June Lake Junction self-serve information station (kiosk). Cooperative project to provide visitors with recreation opportunities around June Lake Loop.
  2. Pullout, scenic viewing facilities, and trail to view Mono Lake (halfway point).
  3. Deer watering facility at base of Sand House Grade to reduce highway crossings.
  4. Trailhead parking for Nordic (cross country) skiers and snowmobilers at June Lake Junction (could also be used as park-and-ride facility for commuters).
  5. Snowmobile crossing north of June Lake Junction.
  6. Parking near Bouldering Sites.

SR 158 Improvements  –  June Lake Loop

  1. Pullouts and interpretive exhibits at key points along the Scenic Byway (tied to Avalanche Bypass Road and widening projects).
  2. Silver Lake Roadside Bike/Pedestrian Path (tied to widening projects).
  3. Drainage improvements in the Village (tied to future circulation improvements in the Village). Provide drainage improvements, such as reconstructing June Lake outfall to Gull Lake inlet, and constructing a sedimentation barrier at the Gull Lake inlet.
  4. Parking and interpretive and rest facilities at June Lake Ballfield/Roadside Park.
  5. Down Canyon Trail project development and construction.

US 395 Improvements along Deadman Grade Segment

  1. Snowmobile trailhead (parking, information station, restroom) off Logging Camp Road.
  2. Nordic ski trailhead (parking, information station, restroom) off Obsidian Dome Road.
  3. Snowplay parking at top of Deadman Grade (allow safe parking at existing site).

Benton Crossing Road

  1. Erosion control for graded section of Benton Crossing Road from Watterson Grade to SR 120. Erosion control along this 15-mile section will involve approximately 36-40 acres at a cost of approximately $4,000 per acre, or a total cost of $145,500.
  2. Deer habitat improvement.

Lower Rock Creek Road

  1. Construct bike lane from south county line to US 395 (approximately nine miles).
  2. Develop bridge on Lower Rock Creek Trail.