During any given rush hour, northbound U.S. Highway 395 turns into a river of red taillights as more than 100,000 commuters pump their brakes and pray for an end to the gridlock.

The stretch of freeway, specifically between Moana Lane and the Interstate 80 interchange, is destined for a $79 million makeover to address the rush-hour congestion. Construction is expected to start this coming spring and will widen the freeway to six lanes in some places.

According to a Nevada Department of Transportation project fact sheet, other improvements will include:

* Widening of northbound U.S. 395 from just north of the Moana Lane on-ramp to Plumb Lane to incorporate an auxiliary lane.

* Re-striping of U.S. 395 northbound from the Plumb Lane off-ramp to Villanova Drive to add an auxiliary lane for a total of four freeway lanes.

* Widening U.S. 395 northbound to five lanes north of Villanova Drive and adding a sixth lane at the junction of the Villanova Drive on-ramp.

* Widening U.S. 395 northbound to six lanes from the Villanova Drive on-ramp to I-80.

* Creating two separate, dedicated lanes for both I-80 eastbound and westbound and upgrading the existing exits.

* Intelligent transportation system (ITS) improvements, including updated traffic signs and a dynamic message sign (DMS) providing drivers with clear instructions for navigating and exiting the freeway up to I-80, as well as alerting drivers to road conditions as they approach the Spaghetti Bowl.

Orange cones and construction workers are expected to be a staple of the commute for 21 months. But Nevada Department of Transportation officials said they are taking several measures to soothe the construction strain on an already busy road.

"During the peak hours of construction, we will have three lanes open in each direction at all times," NDOT spokesman Scott Magruder said.

The project does not have a contractor yet. NDOT will be advertising for construction in October and expects to award the $79 million bid in January.

According to Magruder, the road has not been redesigned since its original construction in the 1970s.

The construction will start at the Moana Lane exit and continue north to the I-80 interchange.

Just in the past year, at least four people have died in car accidents on the stretch of road and many more have simply crunched their cars, according to Nevada Department of Public Safety press releases.

According to Magruder and Regional Transportation Commission spokeswoman Felicia Archer, about 150,000 cars travel the road immediately around the interchange daily. By 2040 that number is expected to increase to 240,000 trips per day, Archer added.