"My concern is how they expect people to get on to Pembroke. Right now, there's no way of getting on it unless you come across a polite person." Hidden Valley resident Jerry Zweifel said that to KTVN 2News before RTC Washoe's public meeting on the Pembroke Drive project last spring. In the same interview he called the project overdue and added, "They need a bike path. They need more access."
Those two complaints line up with what the project will deliver, and the path is the part that will outlast the cones. Pembroke Drive between South McCarran Boulevard and Veterans Parkway has no sidewalks and no bike paths today. When the work wraps up next summer, a multi-use path will run along its north edge and tie into the paths already on McCarran and Veterans. The orange cones Hidden Valley drivers have been passing since mid-September are on that same north side.
The north side goes first
RTC Washoe started construction on the Pembroke Drive Capacity & Safety project on September 14, 2026. Phase one covers earthwork on the north side of Pembroke plus underground utilities and storm drain infrastructure. RTC's construction-start release expects this phase to run through December.
In the finished design, the north side is where the new path goes. Ashley Hurlbut, RTC's project manager, explained the priority to KOLO in October: "Safety. So, by adding an extra lane and having a center turn lane that takes some of the conflict out of traffic. But also adding a multi-use path on the north side of that roadway that'll make things safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Right now, there aren't any sidewalks or bike paths on that road so that'll make things a lot safer too." KOLO also reported that the work includes a new flood mitigation channel.
Road and Highway Builders is the construction contractor, and Nichols Consulting Engineers did the design. RTC puts the total estimate at $16,580,598, funded by the RTC fuel tax.
What a weekday on Pembroke looks like this month
Most of phase one happens off to the side of the road, which is why RTC and KOLO both expect minimal traffic impacts. The disruption that remains follows a set daily pattern. These are the rules in RTC's Weekly Traffic Control Report dated October 23, 2026:
- Work hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- North shoulder: closed 24 hours a day.
- Lane closures: intermittent, whenever crews are installing underground infrastructure across the road.
- Eastbound Pembroke: may close between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. between McCarran Boulevard and Veterans Parkway, with posted detours.
- During those closures: traffic runs one way, westbound only, from Veterans Parkway to McCarran Boulevard.
The 9-to-4 window shapes the day. A westbound trip toward McCarran stays open through the closures. An eastbound trip toward Veterans in the middle of a weekday may put you on the posted detour. Morning commutes before 9 and evening trips after 4 fall outside the eastbound closure window. KOLO reported that RTC will keep routes open to surrounding homes and businesses during the work.
Josh MacEachern, RTC's public information officer, gave his advice for this stretch to KTVN 2News:
"What that means to you, the average traveler, is one: plan ahead. If you can use a different route, please do."
He also told 2News that RTC uses night work when it can to keep crews out of peak hours, though that isn't always possible. The weekly report is the place to check before a midday errand, because RTC updates it as phases change. RTC also offers email updates through MyRTC.
The road you'll be driving in summer 2027
RTC's schedule runs construction from summer 2026 through summer 2027. Here is how the stretch between McCarran and Veterans compares before and after:
| Pembroke today | Pembroke after the project | |
|---|---|---|
| Through lanes | One each way | Two each way |
| Turning | No center turn lane | Center two-way left-turn lane |
| Walking and biking | No sidewalks or bike paths | Multi-use path on the north side |
| Path connections | None along Pembroke | Links the existing McCarran and Veterans paths |
The center turn lane speaks to Zweifel's complaint about getting onto Pembroke. Hurlbut told KOLO it takes "some of the conflict out of traffic." A driver turning left from a side street will be able to cross one direction of traffic, wait in the center lane, and then merge, rather than waiting for a gap in both directions at once. That is how center turn lanes generally work. RTC's materials mention intersection and signal improvements but don't list a treatment for each cross street. The KRNV/News 4 report from the April 29 meeting describes the finished road as four travel lanes plus the center turn lane, with shared-use connectivity.
The north-side path changes trips that never touch a steering wheel. Right now, walking or biking from Hidden Valley to the multi-use paths along McCarran or Veterans means using a road shoulder. Next summer, a continuous path will join them. Hurlbut described the corridor's broader goal to KOLO as "bringing it up to current engineering standards for vehicles as well as pedestrians and bicycles."
Spring 2027 adds a second work zone at Mira Loma
The west end of Pembroke meets McCarran close to another intersection Hidden Valley drivers use, McCarran Boulevard and Mira Loma Drive. RTC presented a companion project for that intersection at the same spring meeting. It's part of RTC's TE Spot Improvements 26-01 package, and the scope at Mira Loma includes:
- Widening Mira Loma Drive on the north side for dual westbound-to-southbound left turns
- A multi-use path to carry bicycles and pedestrians through the intersection
- A crosswalk with flashing beacons on Mira Loma Drive near Parkview Apartments
- A new Mira Loma Park entrance on McCarran Boulevard
RTC lists final design for fall 2026 and expects construction to start in spring 2027. That would overlap with the final months of the Pembroke work, so for part of next year both ends of the McCarran approach could have crews on them at once. When both are done, the path network on this side of McCarran will reach farther than the Pembroke segment on its own.
This Saturday at 4740 Parkway Drive
The weekend after this post goes up brings a run starting at the other end of the neighborhood. The Hidden Valley Hammer is set for Saturday, November 7, at 11 a.m., starting from 4740 Parkway Drive, with 5K and 10K courses. Proceeds go to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, and the after-run gathering is at The 395 Craft Beer and Spirits. Registration on the event's UltraSignup page closed at 11:59 p.m. on November 1. According to an event listing, the 10K climbs about 1,700 feet in its first 4.5 miles before coming back down to the finish, and the 5K is a less technical loop on single-track.
4740 Parkway Drive is the address of Hidden Valley Regional Park. Before heading over to watch, or to use the horse arena, the dog park, the courts or the trails another day, check Washoe County's Hidden Valley Regional Park page for current conditions. The county's directory says the Vista Pavilion requires a reservation and individual picnic areas are first-come, first-served.
Coming from the west side of the neighborhood around late morning, keep the 9-to-4 eastbound window in mind as a weekday habit. RTC's posted work schedule runs Monday through Friday, so a Saturday trip to the start line falls outside it.
Construction in your neighborhood can change how a home on a busy street shows, and how buyers read its location, for a while. If you're thinking about the timing of a sale or purchase near Pembroke, or just want to know how this kind of project usually plays out on the market, Patty DuHamel is happy to talk it through with you. Let's Connect.