Thursday, May 12, 2016

Imagine This- 1st U.S. 100+ mph "Autobahn" High Speed Tollway Announced For Western Utah I-80 Median Space

Salt Lake City Utah to West Wendover, Nevada Facility Proposed For Construction In The I-80 Median- Expected to Spur Tourism and Automotive Technology Development In The Bonneville Salt Lakes Flats Area

Project to construct a pair of barrier separated highway speed carriageways in the median of I-80 from Wendover, ultimately to western Salt Lake City, would bring a whole new opportunity for ultra high speed driving in the Bonneville Salt Flats area.

- 1st stage is the 50 mile western portion.

- 2nd stage is a re-aligned I-80 segment between Aragonite and Sinclair, to provide a greater radii curve.

- 3rd stage is the eastern portion to western Lake Point, and continue to western Salt Lake City with a speed limit reduced to 120 mph. 

Would be separate from the regular I-80 2x2 roadways.  It would ultimately have full left and right hand shoulders flanking 3 lanes in each direction, with individual minimum speed postings: a posted right-hand lane minimum speed of 90 mph, a middle lane minimum of 110 mph, and a left lane minimum of 140 mph.  Travel at 155 mph or high would require the operation of 4 way blinkers to increase visual impacts of such higher speed traffic to others, with passing speed variables limited to a differential of 35 mph to vehicles in the immediate adjacent lane.  Would feature camera enforcement for lane discipline posted regulations, with passing on the left strictly enforced, and be open via a special toll.

Would be part of an automotive development program encouraging automotive technological and vehicular construction projects, with new facilities for accommodating increased tourism based upon a love of automobiles, including a boost to automotive activities upon the Salt Lake Flats.

Is also being supported by the Nevada Casino business interests to encourage traffic from Salt Lake City and its International Airport to West Wendover, Nevada, which are discussing establishing a high speed automobile service and rentals between those points.   The casinos are expected to use various models of high performance automobiles for such a service, with various auto manufactures rumored to be considering offering the use of certain models for free in exchange for the publicity to drive sales.

Is expected to spur tourism in the Wendover- Salt Flats area.

Would be equipped with special tollway entryways to discourage inebriated drivers.

Would be equipped with roadside facilities with refueling stations, including Tesla ‘supercharger’ recharging equipment at 50 mile intervals to facilitate high performance electric automobile clientele, who would need these to accommodate the reduced millage range of such high speed driving; while Teslas for instance, which lack combustion engines for running generators and thus relay strictly upon batteries, are known to have a range of over 200 miles, the higher speed driving to be expected upon this facility would reduce that notably, with speeds of about 125 mph reportedly reducing the range to around 90 to 115 miles.  Such refueling stations likewise would also include combustion fuel stations offering more than the standard fare of gasolines, including E-85 for flex fuel vehicles, and special higher octane blends for operating ultra high performance automobiles at higher speeds, particularly in higher temperature weather.  Such stations would likewise be used to showcase various alternative fuel alternatives as part of the general use of this high speed corridor to showcase advancements in automotive technologies to promote greater efficiencies and cleaner automobiles.

The corridor likewise would add improvements to the existing I-80, including better markings, and would line it with various shrubs to provide safer means of controlling possible errant vehicles, as well as to ‘eat’ CO2 emissions from combustion engine propelled vehicles.

An evaluation of safety records would be used to refine the speed regulations for this and ultimately other such facilities.

No comments:

Post a Comment