U.S. 95, Decatur closing this weekend for bridge demolition

Friday, Feb. 7, 2003 | 9:55 a.m.

Officials are warning motorists to try to avoid U.S. 95 at Decatur Boulevard until Sunday morning.

Starting at 10 p.m. today and continuing through 5 a.m. Sunday, U.S. 95 directly under the Decatur bridge will be closed as will Decatur between Meadows Lane and Bonanza Road. A portion of the bridge will be demolished as work on the $370 million U.S. 95 widening project continues.

The two lanes of the on- and off-ramps of U.S. 95 will be used as detours. However, motorists will not be able to access Decatur Boulevard as a throughway in that area today and Saturday, officials said.

"The widening project is necessary because currently about 200,000 to 300,000 cars a day use the highway," said Bob McKenzie, Nevada Departement of Transportation spokesman. "We are creating a smoother transition through the area."

The Decatur project over U.S. 95 is similar to the Valley View Boulevard bridge replacement that was done last year and the Rainbow Boulevard bridge widening project that is set to begin this summer, McKenzie said.

When Decatur Boulevard reopens to traffic Sunday, it will utilize just the western half of the old bridge and will feature three southbound travel lanes and two northbound lanes with an additional left-turn only lane to access northbound U.S. 95, McKenzie said.

When the new eastern portion of the bridge is finished this year, a similar closure will occur and the western part will be demolished. The new portion of the bridge then will carry the traffic until the entire bridge is finished.

The U.S. 95 widening project was the result of an analysis of traffic issues in northwest Las Vegas.

The project is being done in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration, the Clark County Regional Transportation Commission, Clark County and the cities of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas.