Panel gives its OK to $472 million in road project funds

Friday, Aug. 11, 2000 | 10:50 a.m.

Roadway projects

Big-money projects slated for construction in the coming fiscal year:

Acquire rights-of-way to extend U.S. 95 from Interstate 15 to Craig Road.

Construct interchange between U.S. 95 and Las Vegas Beltway outside Henderson.

Widen I-15 from four to six lanes from the California state line for two miles on northbound lanes and for 21 miles on southbound lanes.

Widen U.S. 95 from four to six lanes from Rainbow Boulevard to Craig Road.

Rebuild overpasses over U.S. 95 at Torrey Pines Drive, Valley View Boulevard and Decatur Boulevard.

Make U.S. 95 a four-lane divided highway from State Route 163 (Laughlin Highway) to north of Searchlight.

Construct a six-lane overpass and interchange for Durango Drive over U.S. 95.

Resurface I-15 for 15 miles north from the California state line.

Widen State Route 162 (Needles Highway) from the California state line for 7 miles.

The Regional Transportation Commission signed off on $472 million in highway and road projects Thursday for Southern Nevada, a budget that promises more spending on road maintenance than ever before.

"This is the biggest maintenance program we've done for Clark County -- ever," said Kent Cooper, Nevada Department of Transportation program development manager.

He said the emphasis in past years has been on new road construction. Although that remains a huge part of the budget, maintenance work has been given a higher priority, he said.

Proposed work includes $15 million for resurfacing of Interstate 15 from the California state line for 16 miles north and $7.5 million for resurfacing 16 miles of State Route 163 east from U.S. 95. About two dozen other roads throughout Southern Nevada get similar treatment.

Some projects get smaller amounts. The proposals include $3,460 for resurfacing of a mile of State Route 160 from Pahrump Valley Road to Trout Canyon Road.

Resurfacing, repainting and repair work are budgeted at well over $100 million for fiscal year 2001, which begins Oct. 1.

The work projects are funded by a mix of federal, state and local money.

Cooper said that about $200 million of the road work is funded by the federal government. About $160 million is from proceeds of the state gasoline tax, and the rest is from local sources, he said.

The Regional Transportation Commission, made up of representatives from the region's local governments, approves work on state and federal roads in Clark County. The State Transportation Board in September is expected to give next year's road work the final, necessary nod.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, a commission member, asked Cooper what the state is doing to make the congested drive along I-15 from California to Nevada easier and faster.

Goodman said the road is critical to the success of local casinos. He warned that without easy access to Southern Nevada, Californians will turn to Native American gambling venues in their own state.

"Let's make it as easy as possible for folks to get here," Goodman said.

A drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles took about five hours a decade ago, but can now take eight hours or more in heavy traffic. Local interests believe that the longer and more frustrating drive costs the region millions in lost gambling revenue.

Cooper said that besides the in-state work, Nevada has also passed on about $13 million in federal road funding to California transportation agencies to improve the busy interstate. The state will pass about $3 million more to California agencies this year, he said.

Cooper said the money came to Nevada and didn't have to be passed on to California, but the Nevada congressional delegation requested that the money go to the neighboring state.

The $16 million is a small fraction of either Nevada's or California's I-15 spending, he said.

Robert McKenzie, Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman, said his agency will meet with California Department of Transportation representatives Aug. 16 to discuss I-15 improvements.