LV firm low bidder on I-15 interchange

Monday, Oct. 28, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Max Riggs Construction of North Las Vegas has submitted the low bid for reconstruction of the Interstate 15 interchange at Spring Mountain Road -- the most expensive project in the history of the state Transportation Department.

Riggs' bid for the project was $55.2 million, below the $57.7 million estimate of the Transportation Department. The job was bid in two phases and Transportation Department Director Tom Stephens said there appears to be enough money to go with the full job.

"If the low bid stands up, we have enough money to do the full project," Stephens said. It will take 10 days to two weeks to review the four bids, which ranged up to $66.4 million, before a contract is awarded.

The project is designed to ease freeway congestion in the vicinity of the interchange that serves the Las Vegas resort corridor near The Mirage and Treasure Island.

The half interchange at Spring Mountain will become a full interchange. Right now, cars can only exit I-15 southbound and get on northbound.

The second major feature, Stephens said, calls for a grade separation over the railroad tracks at Spring Mountain. "It's the busiest railroad crossing in the state," Stephens said.

Some of the signals will be eliminated on Spring Mountain and it also will be widened to permit more traffic. There also will be widening of I-15 and repaving of about one mile of the freeway to replace deteriorating concrete.

The second phase of the bid calls for a flyover at Spring Mountain.

"If you're coming on I-15 from the north, you will have a flyover that goes up and around and drops you down on Spring Mountain (heading east) without having to go through a stop signal," he said.

Similar flyovers are in use at Sahara and Tropicana avenues.

Other bids submitted came from Washington Construction of North Highlands, Calif., at $59.6 million; Kiewit Western Co., of Las Vegas at $65.6 million; and MCM Construction of North Highlands at $66.4 million.

While this will be the largest state project to date, Stephens said that honor won't last long.

"We're going to bid in the spring for the Spaghetti Bowl," he said, referring to the I-15-U.S. 95 interchange.