Clark County to reap lion’s share of $450 million road funding

Thursday, Oct. 29, 1998 | 12:11 p.m.

CARSON CITY -- A $450 million road building budget for 1999, an increase of $100 million over this year and the largest in state history, has been approved by the state Transportation Board.

Many of the major projects to be accomplished with the money are in Southern Nevada.

"This is reflective of the great need for new highway capacity in the nation's fastest growing state," Transportation Director Tom Stephens said. He added that the record amount was made possible by a record federal transportation bill passed this year by Congress.

Kent Cooper, manager of program development for the Transportation Department, said the largest single project is $39 million to improve the Interstate 15-Sahara Avenue interchange and add a lane to northbound I-15 between Sahara Avenue and Charleston Boulevard.

The largest group of projects, Cooper said, is $41 million to widen I-15 between Las Vegas and California.

Also included is $22 million for expanding I-15 to six lanes between I-215 and Lake Mead Drive, $7 million to add a truck-climbing lane and widen bridges from Lake Mead Drive to Sloan, $2 million for environmental work to complete the widening of I-15 in Nevada and $10 million for California to expand I-15 leading into Nevada.

A major Clark County project, costing $23.1 million, calls for interchange improvements at U.S. 95 at Sunset Road and the widening of Sunset Road.

The department also plans $10 million for beginning work on the widening of U.S. 95 from I-15 to Rainbow Boulevard, from six to 10 lanes, and for widening the highway from four to six lanes from Rainbow to Craig Road.

The projects will be started in 1999 but could take several years go complete.

Cooper said Clark County will also qualify for additional federal money when it completes its new transportation plan.

The Transportation Board, with Gov. Bob Miller presiding as chairman, agreed to spend $700,000 for a pedestrian sidewalk from the end of the Rio Hotel sidewalk to the start of Caesars Palace sidewalk across Flamingo Road. The Rio will contribute $700,000 to build the structure over the interchange ramp.

The board voted to allocate $250,000 to start design of a railroad underpass in Boulder City to help with access to the site of the proposed Veterans Home to be built there next year. Boulder City is donating 50 acres for the home.

State Public Works Board Manager Eric Raecke said that without the underpass, visitors from Las Vegas would have to go an additional 2 1/2 miles on U.S. 93 into Boulder City and then come back. Boulder City would seek money for construction, estimated at $2 million, from Clark County.