U.S. Highway 395 is a much - used Back - Door route between Reno - Sparks and the Inland Empire of San Bernardino / Riverside area. Any improvements to that road are well - deserved. I had the DIS - pleasure to drive that route - only Twice - when I drove for Conway Western Express out of Santa Fe Springs, CA. You will go over TWO different passes of 6000 feet, and another of 7000 Ft if you stay on 395 the entire way.
Back in The Day - many truckers In The Know heading to Reno and especially Sparks ( lotsa warehouses there ) would turn off 395 just BEFORE the steep climb to Conway Summit, and wind around through Walker Lake to Fallon, then Hwy. 50 West to Interstate 80 at Fernley, NV., then a short drive to Reno / Sparks, thus avoiding the traffic between Carson City & Reno. Nowadays I suspect the Interstate 580 Highway route through Carson City is a better route, ( I haven't driven it- yet ) although it would still require traversing most of the worst parts of U.S. 395. The Northbound climb to Conway Summit is a real grind, any time of the year.