County Commission briefs for June 20, 2001

Wednesday, June 20, 2001 | 10:28 a.m.

Ways to relieve traffic studied

Clark County public works engineers are studying ways to relieve traffic on a stretch of the southern Las Vegas Beltway, where congestion has become an everyday problem.

The average daily traffic on the beltway between Eastern Avenue and Pecos Road increased from 61,848 vehicles per day in January 2000 to 94,739 in December 2000. The six-lane freeway's capacity is about 120,000 vehicles a day.

Public works officials are also proposing to build an interchange at Gibson Road and the beltway to improve traffic flow between Stephanie Street and Interstate 95.

Construction of the $77 million interchange, which would be funded by the Regional Transportation Commission and Nevada Department of Transportation, is scheduled to begin in spring 2003 and completed two years later.

Commissioners approve dust plan

A plan to deal with pollution from fine dust in the Las Vegas Valley was approved by the Clark County Commission Tuesday and is set to be submitted to the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The plan was prepared in response to the Environmental Protection Agency's classification of Clark County as a "serious non-attainment area" for dust pollution. If the county does not meet EPA deadlines, it could lose federal funding.

The plan projects attainment of the annual standard in 2001 and requests an extension of the 24-hour standard attainment until 2006.

Plan OK'd unanimously

Clark County commissioners unanimously approved Tuesday a five-year capital improvement plan that covers fiscal years 2002-2006.

About a third of the $600 million plan will be spent on proprietary fund projects, which mostly include expansion projects at McCarran International Airport.

Nearly $160 million will be invested in road projects; $115 million on public safety and criminal justice; $71 million for parks and recreation programs; $23 million on general government; and about $12 million on grants and community resources.