U.S. 95 project subject of public meetings

Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2000 | 11:08 a.m.

Opponents and advocates of the controversial effort to widen U.S. 95 in the Las Vegas Valley's northwest will have the opportunity to square off next week.

The Nevada Department of Transportation will hold two public meetings to discuss aspects of the project. Government officials want to widen the highway from Martin Luther King Boulevard to Craig Road.

Environmentalists, including Sierra Club members, have promised to attend. The Sierra Club has filed an intent-to-sue notice to stop the project. Group members argue that state and federal agencies failed to adequately assess the health effects the widening will have on nearby residents.

The group, locally and nationally, opposes highway expansions. Members believe that highway expansions contribute to air pollution by encouraging more people on the roads.

Officials backing the project, however, argue that the highway expansion is needed because of the growing population in the Las Vegas Valley's northwest. They also say that the expansion can help the environment by including high-occupancy vehicle lanes.

"High occupancy is a good idea, but widening is not," said Peggy Pierce, conservation committee co-chairwoman for the local Sierra Club group.

But officials here said they have done what needs to be done in order to expand the highway.

"The Federal Highway Administration is confident that we have looked at everything we needed to do under federal law," said Cathy Razor, a senior analyst with contractor PBS&J at the state Department of Transportation U.S. 95 Project Office.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, however, said early last year that the project should be pushed back for more study.

The first meeting, from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, will focus on the rebuilding of overpasses to U.S. 95 at Valley View Boulevard, Decatur Boulevard and Torrey Pines Drive. The work would include lengthening of bridges, construction of sound walls, and other related construction; the overpass work is necessary to expand the highway from six to 10 lanes.

The Tuesday meeting will be at Western High School's cafeteria, 4601 W. Bonanza Road.

The Wednesday meeting, also from 4 to 7 p.m., will focus on expanding U.S. 95 from Cheyenne Avenue to Craig Road to add high-occupancy vehicle lanes both northbound and southbound.

Much of the work will occur in residential areas, and the meeting will focus on proposed sound walls though those areas.

The Wednesday meeting will be in the Molasky Middle School cafeteria, 7801 W. Gilmore Ave.

Some construction on the project, including expansion from four to six lanes from the Rainbow Boulevard interchange to Cheyenne Avenue, has already begun. The entire $350 million effort is scheduled for completion by 2006.

Razor said that court reporters will be on hand at both meetings to record verbal comments. People who want to comment on the projects also can submit written comments at the meeting or by mail to Dennis Baughman, hearings officer, Nevada Department of Transportation, 1263 S. Stewart Street, Carson City, Nevada 89712.

All comments for these two parts of the overall project have to be submitted by Dec. 15, Razor said.