Virginia Street Project nearly done through Midtown; 2-way traffic returns

RENO, Nev. — The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County announced last week that construction on the Midtown segment of the $87 million Virginia Street Project is nearly complete.

Further, Virginia Street reopened to two-way traffic in Midtown on Aug. 14.

“Opening Midtown back to two-way traffic was achieved three months early due to modified business operations during the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed Sierra Nevada Construction crews to close parts of Virginia Street to finish paving operations earlier than planned,” according to an Aug. 11 press release from RTC. "The community is invited to visit and support Midtown businesses, stroll along the new, wide sidewalks along this iconic Reno roadway, see the new trees and landscaping, and enjoy all that Midtown has to offer."

While the roadway is reopening to two-way traffic in Midtown, crews are still working on landscaping and other clean-up work through September; during this time, drivers can still anticipate minor lane closures and brief work-day detours.

Work in Midtown began in September 2018 and has consisted of new roundabouts on Virginia, wider sidewalks and upgraded streetlights. RTC is also supporting the city of Reno’s efforts as they install a new art sculpture, bike racks and benches through October.

Meanwhile, construction on the Virginia Street Project continues by the University of Nevada, Reno, where crews are reconstructing the roadway and sidewalks and building new transit stations. Construction on this segment is anticipated to wrap up this fall.

The final feature of the Virginia Street Project, extension of Bus RAPID Transit service, will launch in 2021. The extension will connect RTC’s RAPID Virginia Line from Meadowood Mall to UNR.

The project is funded with fuel tax revenue, sales tax revenue and federal funds. Go to VirginiaStreetProject.com for full details.