Letter: NDOT sorry for inconvenience during project

Monday, Aug. 18, 2003 | 11:14 a.m.

The Nevada Department of Transportation would like to apologize to residents for any inconvenience that may have been caused by the demolition of homes adjacent to the U.S. 95 widening project. There should have been better communications by the department.

Prior to any future demolition, the department will make every effort to notify adjacent residents.

Widening U.S. 95 is a very large and complex undertaking, and the department has gone to great lengths to work with the more than 200 homeowners whose property had to be acquired. A consultant was even hired to help with the right-of-way acquisitions to expedite the widening of the freeway. Unfortunately, we did not recognize the impacts of the demolition on nearby residents.

All of the U.S. 95 right-of-way and project management is being handled out of our Las Vegas office and in 2001 a project office that provides public information was established at Meadows Mall. The department also recently hired a deputy director, a new position requested by the department and approved by the Legislature, to oversee department activities in Southern Nevada.

While we are pleased to report that we are making excellent progress on the U.S. 95 widening project, we acknowledge that we must do a better job of letting people know how the project might affect them.

Readers who desire further information about NDOT projects may tune their radio to 1610 AM, log onto the Internet at www.NevadaDOT.com, call 385-6504 or send an e-mail to rmckenzie@dot.state.nv.us. Also, detailed information on the U.S. 95 widening project can be found at www.US95.net.

JEFF FONTAINE

Editor's note: Jeff Fontaine is the director of the Nevada Department of Transportation.